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Updated: Jun 26, 2026
A Low Mortality Rat Model to Assess Delayed Cerebral Vasospasm After Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Published on: January 17, 2013
Effects of raloxifene on cerebral vasospasm after experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in rabbits
Levent Gürses1, Hakan Seçkin, Serkan Simşek
1Ministry of Health, Dişkapi Educational and Research Hospital, 2nd Neurosurgery Clinic, Ankara, Turkey.
Background:
The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of a SERM, RLX, to prevent vasospasm in a rabbit model of SAH.
Methods:
Thirty-four New Zealand white rabbits were allocated into 3 groups randomly. Subarachnoid hemorrhage was induced by injecting autologous blood into the cisterna magna. The treatment groups were as follows: (1) sham operated (no SAH [n = 12]), (2) SAH only (n = 12), and (3) SAH plus RLX (n = 10). Basilar artery lumen areas and arterial wall thickness were measured to assess vasospams in all groups.
Results:
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 < .05). The difference between the mean basilar artery cross-sectional areas and the mean arterial wall thickness measurements in the RLX-treated group was statistically significant (P < .05). The difference between the SAH group and the SAH + RLX group was also statistically significant (P < .05).
Conclusions:
These findings demonstrate that RLX has marked vasodilatatory effect in an experimental model of SAH in rabbits. This observation may have clinical implications suggesting that this SERM drug could be used as possible anti-vasospastic agent in patients without major adverse effects.
