Proceedings: Successful treatment of delayed arterial spasm in the rhesus monkey after subarachnoid haemorrhage.

CHRISTOPHER W. NORWOOD, G. JOSEPH POOLE, DIXON MOODY, and EBEN ALEXANDER, Jr (Winston-Salem) noted that a successful treatment for delayed cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid haemorrhage had been reported. In their Rhesus monkey population subjected to subarachnoid haemorrhage 62.5% developed delayed cerebral vasospasm. Seven were treated with a beta-adrenergic drug alone, and five of the seven responded to the drug, representing a 71% response rate. Four other monkeys with delayed cerebral vasospasm were treated with a combination of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor and a betaadrenergic stimulator. One hundred per cent of these animals responded with complete relief of the delayed cerebral vasospasm. When the two groups of monkeys were treated as one group, nine of 11 animals with delayed cerebral vasospasm had relief of the vasospasm, representing an 81% response rate. The pharmacology of beta-adrenergic stimulators and phosphodiesterase inhibitors was discussed and a rationale for their synergistic effect was postulated.