Yasuo Iwasaki
Toho University Medical Center Omori Hospital, Department of Neurology 6-11-1 Omori Nishi Ota-ku Tokyo 143-8541 Tokyo, Japan

Abstract:

Olmesartan has been used for the treatment of hypertension and this drug has been shown to exhibit various neuropharmacological effects. For the purpose of clarifying the effect of Olmesartan on spinal motor neurons, we studied the effect of Olmesartan both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, Olmesartan-treated ventral spinal cord, compared with control, had a significant neurite outgrowth and increased activity of choline acetyltransferase activity. In vivo, we examined the effect of Olmesartan on axotomized spinal motor neuron death. In comparison with vehicle, intraperitoneal injection of Olmesartan for consecutive 14days reduced spinal motor neuron death. These in vitro and in vivo studied showed that Olmesartan has a neurotrophic effect on spinal motor neurons. These result suggest a potential therapeutic use of Olmesartan in treating diseases that involve degeneration and death of spinal motor neurons.