Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Sep 2013
Niacin suppresses the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and attenuates brain injury after cardiac arrest in rats*.
To determine whether niacin attenuates brain injury and improves neurological outcome after cardiac arrest in rats and if its therapeutic benefits are associated with suppression of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. ⋯ Single high dose and repeated low dose of niacin attenuated brain injury and improved neurological outcome after cardiac arrest in rats. Their therapeutic benefits were associated with suppressions of the phosphorylations of p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase and the cleavage of caspase 3.