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. 1978 Sep;6(3):203–215. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1978.tb04586.x

Aetiology of cerebral arterial spasm following subarachnoid haemorrhage

Evidence against a major involvement of 5-hydroxytryptamine in the production of acute spasm

D J Boullin, G H Du Boulay, A T Rogers
PMCID: PMC1429449  PMID: 99157

Abstract

1 Acute cerebral arterial spasm was produced in baboons by intracisternal injection of blood or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). Blood induced spasm was not antagonized by the potent 5-HT antagonist BW501C67, but 5-HT induced cerebral arterial spasm was largely antagonized.

2 Blood platelets from baboons were isolated and aggregated in vitro with adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and 5-HT. 5-HT induced platelet aggregation was abolished by BW501C67 in vitro. It was also abolished after intracisternal administration of the drug. Thus it is concluded that BW501C67 antagonized 5-HT induced cerebral arterial spasm.

3 BW501C67 also failed to antagonize contractions produced by human cerebrospinal fluid, serum and platelet extracts on the isolated human basilar artery, the isolated rat fundus and aorta.

4 These results suggest that the role of 5-HT in the aetiology of human cerebral spasm may be minimal.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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