The Effects of Intrathecal Nicergoline and Nimodipine in Cerebral Vasospasm: An Experimental Study in Rabbits

Abstract

the aim of this study was to assess and to compare the ability of intrathecal nicergoline and nimodipine in prevention of cerebral vasospasm in a rabbit model of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). twenty male New Zealand white rabbits were allocated into four groups randomly. Subarachnoid hemorrhage was induced by injecting autologous blood into the cisterna magna. The treatment groups were as follows: (1) control [no SAH (n = 5)], (2) SAH only (n = 5), (3) SAH plus nimodipine (n = 5), and (4) SAH plus nicergoline (n = 5). there was a statistically significant difference between the mean basilar artery cross-sectional areas and the mean arterial wall thickness measurements of the control and SAH-only groups (p < 0.05). Basilar artery vessel diameter and luminal section areas in group 3 were significantly higher than in group 2 (p < 0.05). Basilar artery vessel diameter and basilar artery luminal section areas in group 4 were significantly higher than in group 2 (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between basilar artery vessel diameter and basilar artery luminal section areas in group 3 and group 4. these findings demonstrate that intrathecal nicergoline has a vasodilatatory effect in an experimental model of SAH in rabbits but not more than that of nimodipine.