The neuroprotective effect of a new serotonin receptor agonist, BAY X3702, upon focal ischemic brain damage caused by acute subdural hematoma in the rat

We tested the neuroprotective effect of a novel, high affinity serotonin (5-HT1A) agonist, BAY X3702, in a rat model of acute subdural hematoma (ASDH). Animals were treated with 0.01 mg/kg (n = 8), 0.003 mg/kg (il = 8) BAY X3702 or vehicle (n = 4) 15 min before (i.v.) and after (continuous infusion) injection of 400 mu l of autologous blood into the subdural space. The ischemic brain damage at 4 h after ASDH was 59.01 +/- 39 and 60.8 +/- 49 mm(3) for the low- and high-dose BAY X3702 group, respectively, which was significantly smaller compared to the vehicle-treated ASDH group (106.2 +/- 33 mm(3)). The result indicates that this novel, high affinity 5-HT1A agonist, BAY X3702, is neuroprotective in this model. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.