Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee: Pirogov University.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY).

ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Efficacy of using melatonin per rectum for experimental acute cerebral ischemia

Osikov MV1,2, Shelomentsev AV1,3, Boyko MS1, Shishkova YuS1, Fedosov AA4
About authors

1 South Ural State Medical University, Chelyabinsk, Russia

2 Chelyabinsk Regional Clinical Hospital, Chelyabinsk, Russia

3 Chelyabinsk Regional Clinical Therapeutic Hospital for War Veterans, Chelyabinsk, Russia

4 Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, Moscow, Russia

Correspondence should be addressed: Alexey V. Shelomentsev
Vorovskogo, 64, Chelyabinsk, 454092, Russia; ur.liam@81weznemolehcsva

About paper

Author contribution: Osikov MV — study concept and design, manuscript editing and approval; Shelomentsev AV — data acquisition, literature review, analysis and interpretation of the results; Boyko MS — statistical analysis; Shishkova YuS, Fedosov AA — manuscript editing.

Compliance with ethical standards: the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the South Ural State Medical University (protocol No. 5 dated 10 June 2024). Animals were kept and handled in accordance with the ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) guidelines and animal handling principles based on the provisions of the Declaration of Helsinki and the guidelines contained in the EU Council Directive 86/609/ECC and the European Convention for the protection of vertebrate animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes.

Received: 2025-06-24 Accepted: 2025-07-21 Published online: 2025-07-26
|

With limited efficacy and safety of the methods to treat ischemic stroke (IS), melatonin (МТ) can be considered a promising neuroprotective agent having a pleiotropic mechanism of action. The study aimed to assess the effect of MT contained in original rectal suppositories on the neurological status and microcirculation in the injury focus in experimental acute cerebral ischemia (EACI) in vivo. A total of 30 sexually mature rats were divided into three groups, 10 animals per group: shamoperated (SO) animals; animals with EACI; animals with EACI receiving original rectal suppositories weighing 100 mg with 2.5 mg of melatonin (МТ) throughout 7 days. On days 3 and 7, neurological status was assessed using the Garcia JH score, Placing test, Bederson test; microcirculation rate (MR) was assessed in the brain injury focus by laser flowmetry. A significant decrease in the Garcia JH scores by 58.3% (p = 0.001), Placing Test scores by 57.9% (p = 0.002), along with the significant increase in the Bederson Test scores in animals with EACI compared to SO animals was reported on day 3; the significant decrease in the Garcia JH scores by 75% (p < 0.001), Placing Test scores by 78.9% (p < 0.001) and the significant increase in the Bederson Test scores were reported on day 7. MR decreased by 30% on day 3 (p = 0.02), by 38% on day 7 (p = 0.005). The use of the MT-based rectal suppositories resulted in the neurological deficit restoration in the form of the significant increase in the Gаrcia JH scores by 53.3% (p = 0.008), Placing Test scores by 50% (p = 0.016) and the significant decrease in the Bederson Test scores by 50% (p = 0.029) on day 3;  on day 7, the significant increase in the Garcia JH scores by 233% (p < 0.0001), Placing Test scores by 325% (p < 0.0001) and the significant decrease in the Bederson Test scores by 100% (p < 0.0001) were reported. MR increased by 12.5% on day 3 (p = 0.016), by 43.9% on day 7 (p = 0.005). The correlation analysis revealed the association between the neurological status and MR values: the neurological deficit improvement in animals with EACI in the context of receiving the MT-based rectal suppositories was associated with the MR increase in the ischemic focus in the brain. Thus, partial neurological status restoration in the context of using the MT-based rectal suppositories for EACI resulted from the MT vasoactive properties, which was reflected in the MR increase in the ischemic focus in the brain.

Keywords: ischemic stroke, melatonin, rectal suppositories

КОММЕНТАРИИ (0)