A lignocaine infusion worsens the leukoencephalopathy due to a carbon monoxide exposure in sheep

Abstract

Poisoning by carbon monoxide (CO) is common and conventional treatment of affected people is frequently unsuccessful. Lignocaine was identified as a potential therapy in this context because of the benefit shown for it in other brain injuries for which the received toxic mechanisms are similar. Twelve Romney ewes were exposed to 1% CO for 120 min were then infused intravenously with either lignocaine (N=6) or saline for 72 h, and were killed 5 days after the exposure for histological and immunohistochemical examination. This dose of CO was narcotic and caused white matter brain infarcts, with associated glial cell activation, axonal dysfunction and induction of both neuronal and glial haeme ..