A novel neurotrophic therapeutic strategy for experimental stroke.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) promotes proliferation of endogenous neural stem cells, and erythropoietin (EPO) promotes differentiation of these cells into neural stem cells. The current study examined effects of sequential administration of these two compounds, initiated 24 h after stroke. At that time, rats were randomized into four treatment groups: hCG+EPO (3 IM doses hCG over 5 days, followed by 3 IV doses EPO over 3 days), hCG+Saline using the same schedule, Saline+EPO using the same schedule, or neither drug (Saline+Saline).