title: Beneficial effects of moxonidine on cerebral vasospasm after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to examine the efficacy of moxonidine, a centrally acting antihypertensive agent that is a selective ligand for I1-imidazoline sites, in a rabbit cerebral vasospasm model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four white, male New-Zealand rabbits weighing 2500-3200 gr. were randomly allocated into three groups as group 1= control group, group 2=subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) alone group, and group 3=SAH + moxonidine (treatment) group. Cerebral angiography was performed to all rabbits before (Day=0, basal angiography) and 72 hours after the induction of SAH. Intraperitoneal moxonidine (0.5 mg/kg) treatment was started after the induction of SAH and continued once a day for 72 hours in the treatment group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant difference was determined in basal angiographic luminal diameter of the basilar artery between groups (p > 0.005). After SAH, the follow-up angiographic basilar artery luminal diameter significantly changed in treatment group when compared with the SAH alone group (p < 0.001). The pathologically examined basilar artery luminal area was different between these groups (p < 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Moxonidine treatment as a centrally acting antihypertensive agent was found to be very beneficial in the treatment of vasospasm by increasing the angiographic diameter and the pathologic luminal area and reducing muscular wall thickness.
authors.affiliation: Mevlana University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa Kemal
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Ilik
authors.forename: Yalcin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kocaogullar
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Koc
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Esen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D011859:Radiography; D011897:Random Allocation; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020301:Vasospasm, Intracranial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D007093:Imidazoles; C043482:moxonidine