Nimodipine attenuates both ischaemia-induced brain oedema and mortality in a rat novel transient middle cerebral artery occlusion model.

A novel transient middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion model in rats was used to evaluate the effects of nimodipine on 45Ca accumulation, brain oedema and mortality. Nimodipine (1 microgram/kg/min, IV, 30 min) administered immediately after 3 hr of transient unilateral MCA occlusion significantly attenuated the post-ischaemic increase of tissue water content, partly 45Ca accumulation in the parietotemporal and frontal cortices ipsilateral to the left MCA occlusion 3 hr after reperfusion. Nimodipine decreased the mortality rate at 6 and 9 hr time points after recirculation, although the survival rate at the 24 hr point after recirculation was not different from the control group. These results suggest that nimodipine has beneficial effects in the early phase of reperfusion period.