Figure 1.

3,5-dibromo-L-phenylalanine (3,5-DBr-L-Phe) decreases neurological deficits caused by stroke after intracerebral injection of endothelin-1 (ET-1). Rats each received three bolus injections of 3,5-DBr-L-Phe (30 mg·kg⁻¹; i.p.) or equal volumes of 0.9% saline at 30, 120 and 240 min after injection of ET-1. The neurological evaluations were performed 3 days later. (A and B) The results of the sunflower seed test in the same groups of animals before and 3 days after administration of ET-1. (C and D) Respective results from the Bederson and Garcia neurological examinations. Data are presented as a box and whiskers plot. The boundary of the box closest to zero indicates the 25th percentile, lines within the box mark the median and the mean, and the boundary of the box farthest from zero the 75th percentile. Whiskers (error bars) above and below the box indicate the 90th and 10th percentiles. Outliers are represented as individual data points. *P < 0.05 relative to the saline-treated animals, n= 15 (3,5-DBr-L-Phe) and n= 8 (saline). MCAo, middle cerebral artery occlusion.