Prevention of cerebral vasospasm after SAH with a thromboxane synthetase inhibitor, OKY-1581

Abstract

The efficacy of thromboxane synthetase inhibitor in the prevention of cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) was evaluated in a prolonged experiment using dogs. Changes in the diameter of the basilar artery were followed by angiography, and morphological changes were studied by photomicroscopy and electron microscopy. As a thromboxane synthetase inhibitor, OKY-1581 (sodium-(E)-3-(4(-3-pyridylmethyl)phenyl)-2-methylacrylate) was used. Dogs received intravenous injections of 160 mg of OKY-1581 dissolved in 2 ml of physiological saline immediately after subarachnoid blood injection. Subsequently, the animals received continuous intravenous infusion of the drug at the rate of 4 gm/50 ml/24 hours until sacrifice 4 days after induction of SAH. Control dogs received subarachnoid blood injection without treatment with OKY-1581. Angiographic examination revealed that the late spasm was almost completely abolished by the treatment with OKY-1581. Early spasm was also prevented, but the drug's effect was less prominent than it was on the late spasm. Morphological study revealed degenerative changes in the endothelium and myonecrotic changes in the tunica media following SAH in the basilar arteries of the treated as well as the untreated dogs. However, corrugation of the internal elastic lamina was almost completely absent in the treated dogs. The above results indicate that a disproportionate synthesis of thromboxane A2 plays an important role in the evolution of chronic cerebral vasospasm following SAH, and that drugs such as OKY-1581 that selectively inhibit thromboxane synthetase might be useful in the prevention of vasospasm.