TREATMENT WITH RANITIDINE OF ISCHEMIC BRAIN EDEMA

Cerebral ischemia was produced by bilateral common carotid artery occl usion in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Ranitidine, a histamine H-2 recep tor blocking agent, given intraperitoneally 30 min prior to ischemia, exerted a dose-dependent protective effect on water accumulation and i on shifts in the brain (Na+, K+ and Ca2+). To decide whether ranitidin e can prevent ischemia-induced brain edema when given in the postische mic period, ranitidine (10 mg/kg i.p.) was administered 1, 2, and 3 h respectively after the onset of cerebral ischemia. Early (1 h) postocc lusion treatment was still able to attenuate the ischemia-induced wate r accumulation and maldistribution of ions in the brain tissue.