In the present study, we have investigated the spatial and temporal distribution of voltage-gated calcium channels in the gerbil model of global cerebral ischemia using immunohistochemistry. Distinct localizations of P-type (α 1A), N-type (α 1B), and L-type (α 1C and α 1D) Ca 2+ channels were observed in the hippocampus at days 1–5 after ischemic injury. However, increased expression of N-type Ca 2+ channels was detectable in brain regions vulnerable to ischemia only at days 2 and 3 after ischemic injury. The pyramidal cell bodies of CA1-3 areas and the granule cell bodies of the dentate gyrus were intensely stained at days 2 and 3 following ischemic injury. Transient changes in N-type Ca 2+ channel expression were also observed in the affected cerebral cortex and striatum at days 2 and 3 after ischemic injury. Although the present study has not addressed the multiple mechanisms contributing to the intracellular free Ca 2+ concentration ([Ca 2+] i) increase in the ischemic brain, the first demonstration of the transient increase in N-type Ca 2+ channels may prove useful for future investigations.