Effects of a novel calcium antagonist, KB-2796, on neurologic outcome and size of experimental cerebral infarction in rats.

Effects of a novel calcium 2+ antagonist, KB-2796, on neurologic outcome and size of infarction were studied in the rat model of focal cerebral ischemia. Neurologic deficits were examined from 1 to 24 hours after occlusion of the middle cerebral artery and size of infarction was measured at 24 hours postocclusion. When KB-2796 (10 mg/kg, IP) was given immediately after, or 1 hour after, middle cerebral artery occlusion, marked improvement in neurologic score was seen 1 to 3 hours postocclusion. When given immediately after middle cerebral artery occlusion, size of infarction was also markedly smaller when compared with the control rat. The present study suggests that the calcium 2+ antagonist KB-2796 has brain-protective effects against ischemia even with its administration after induction of ischemia.