Ischemic neuronal damage - How does mild hypothermia modulate it?

The significance of mild hypothermia as a therapeutic measure for ischemic brain damage is presented on the basis of different experimental results. An extracellular glutamate surge, a sustained activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, and an enhancement of DNA binding activity to transcription factor AP-1, all being key items directly linked to excitotoxic neuronal damage, are deeply affected by slightly lowering temperature (mild hypothermia [MH]). The cellular mechanism of MH seems rather nonspecific but tends to collectively involve these key items rendering neurons resistant to ischemic damage. Clinical application of MH should be a great challenge to relieve deadly effects on central neurons.