Abstract
The present study was conducted to invetigate the therapeutic effects of nilvadipine, a Ca2+ entry blocker, on rat focal cerebral ischemia. Under halothane anesthesia, a 3-0 nylon thread was introduced into the neck internal carotid artery to occlude the left middle cerebral artery. Either nilvadipine (3.2 mg/kg) or vehicle was administered subcutaneously 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 h following the occlusion (groups 1–6, respectively). Twenty-four hours after the occlusion, the percentage infarct volumes in nilvadipine-treated animals in groups 1–3 (21±11%, 24±11%, and 26±7%, respectively) were smaller than those in the respective control groups (36±5%, 35±3%, and 35+3%; P<0.05). Compared with controls, the infarct size of the periphery of the fronto-parietal cortex decreased in nilvadipine-treated animals. The results indicate that nilvadipine decreases the size of infarction when administered up to 3 h after an ischemic insult. Thus, nilvadipine can be considered a potential therapeutic agent for acute focal cerebral ischemia, and may be clinically useful in stroke patients.
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Li, Y., Kawamura, S., Yasui, N. et al. Therapeutic effects of nilvadipine on rat focal cerebral ischemia. Exp Brain Res 99, 1–6 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00241406
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00241406