Effect of fucoidan treatment on collagenase-induced intracerebral hemorrhage in rats

Inflammatory cells are postulated to mediate some of the brain damage follo wing ischemic stroke. Intracerebral hemorrhage is associated with more infl ammation than ischemic stroke. We tested the sulfated polysaccharide fucoid an, which has been reported to reduce inflammatory brain damage, in a rat m odel of intracerebral hemorrhage induced by injection of bacterial collagen ase into the caudate nucleus. Rats were treated with seven day intravenous infusion of fucoidan (30 mu g h(-1)) or vehicle. The hematoma was assessed in vivo by magnetic resonance imaging. Motor behavior, passive avoidance, a nd skilled forelimb function were tested repeatedly for six weeks. Fucoidan -treated rats exhibited evidence of impaired blood clotting and hemodilutio n, had larger hematomas, and tended to have less inflammation in the vicini ty of the hematoma after three days. They showed significantly more rapid i mprovement of motor function in the first week following hemorrhage and bet ter memory retention in the passive avoidance test Acute white matter edema and eventual neuronal loss in the striatum adjacent to the hematoma did no t differ between the two groups. Investigation of more specific anti-inflam matory agents and hemodiluting agents are warranted in intracerebral hemorr hage.