Postischemic administration of HMG CoA reductase inhibitor inhibits infarct expansion after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Infarcts expand over a period of several days after focal cerebral ischemia. Inhibition of infarct expansion would be a promising strategy for the protection of the brain after ischemic insult. In this study, we examined the effect of statin treatment initiated 2 days after transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery for 80 min. Treatment with continuous infusion of pravastatin with an osmotic minipump for 6 days resulted in a significantly smaller infarct volume and better recovery of motor function at 8 days after ischemia compared to vehicle treatment. These results suggest that statin treatment during the postischemic period may be effective in stroke patients.