Cerebroprotective effect of nicergoline and interference with the anti-hypoxic effect of prostacyclin.

The cerebroprotective effect of nicergoline was studied using the following experimental methods: hypobaric and anoxic hypoxia in mice, complete ischemia by decapitation in mice, incomplete ischemia by bilateral carotid ligation in rats, hemic hypoxia in rats and asphyxic anoxia in cats. Xanthinol nicotinate, vincamine, vinpocetine and cinnarizine were used as reference drugs. In hypobaric hypoxia and complete ischemia by decapitation the interaction of nicergoline with the effect of prostacyclin (PGI2) was investigated. Nicergoline showed cerebroprotective effect of varying potency in all the methods used except asphyxic anoxia. Nicergoline manifested a synergic effect with PGI2 shifting its anti-hypoxic dose-response curve to the left.