HA-996 (1-hydroxy-3-aminopyrrolidone-2) selectively reduces N- (NMDA)-mediated brain damage

The neuroprotective effects of the strychnine-insensitive glycine receptor antagonist, HA-966, against N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)- and quisqualate (QA)-mediated brain injury were determined in perinatal rats. Postnatal day (PND) 7 rats received intrastriatal injections of NMDA (25 nmol) or QA (100 nmol) and then were administered intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of varying doses of HA-966 or vehicle 15 min later. Animals were sacrificed 5 days later and the degree of brain injury was calculated by comparison of the weights of injected and contralateral cerebral hemispheres. HA-966 selectively reduced the degree of NMDA-mediated brain injury in a dose-dependent manner. However, HA-966 did not attenuate QA-mediated brain injury.