Pharmacological Manipulation of Brain Glycogenolysis as a Therapeutic Approach to Cerebral Ischemia

Brain ischemia resulting from multiple disease states including cardiac arrest, stroke and traumatic brain injury, is a leading cause of death and disability. Despite significant resources dedicated to developing pharmacological interventions, few effective therapeutic options are currently available. The basic consequence of cerebral ischemia, characterized by energy failure and subsequent brain metabolic abnormalities, enables the protective effects by pharmacological manipulation of brain metabolism. We present here the important roles of brain glycogen metabolism and propose inhibition of glycogenolysis as a therapeutic approach to cerebral ischemia.