Effect of recombinant human erythropoietin on cerebral ischemia following experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage

Erythropoietin exerts a neuroprotective effect during cerebral ischemia. We investigated the effect of systemic administration of recombinant human er ythropoietin in a rabbit model of subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced acute cer ebral ischemia. The animals were divided into three groups: group 1, subara chnoid hemorrhage; group 2, subarachnoid hemorrhage plus placebo; group 3, subarachnoid hemorrhage plus recombinant human erythropoietin teach group, n = 8). Experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage was produced by injecting auto logous blood into the cisterna magna. Treatment with recombinant human eryt hropoietin and placebo was started 5 min after subarachnoid hemorrhage and was continued every 8 h for 24 h. Before the animals were killed, erythropo ietin concentration was measured in the cerebrospinal fluid. The rabbits we re killed 24 h after subarachnoid hemorrhage and ischemic brain injury was histologically evaluated. In group 3, the concentration of erythropoietin i n the cerebrospinal fluid was significantly increased and a significant red uction in cortical necrotic neuron count was also observed. These findings may encourage the use of erythropoietin in the treatment of cerebral ischem ia that often occurs in the early stage of subarachnoid hemorrhage. (C) 200 0 Elsevier Science B.V. AU rights reserved.