Hirakawa K. The role of superoxide anions in the pathogenesis of cerebral vasospasm. Stroke

Background and Purpose To determine the role of super-oxide anions in the pathogenesis of cerebral vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, we studied the preven-tive effect of human recombinant copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (h-r SOD) in a rabbit subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) model. Methods Forty-five rabbits receiving intracisternal injec-tion of 3 mL autologous nonheparinized blood or 3 mL saline were divided into four groups as follows: (1) saline injected and no treatment (control group, n=6); (2) blood injected and no treatment (SAH group, n=20); (3) blood injected and treated by multiple intracisternal injections of 30 000 U of h-r SOD in 0.5 mL saline (SOD group, n=9); and (4) blood injected and treated by multiple intracisternal injections of 0.5 mL saline (saline group, n=10). Serial angiograms were per