Possible role for vascular cell proliferation in cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Background And Purpose: During vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), cerebral blood vessels show structural changes consistent with the actions of vascular mitogens. We measured platelet-derived vascular growth factors (PDGFs) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients after SAH and tested the effect of these factors on cerebral arteries in vivo and in vitro.

Methods: CSF was sampled from 14 patients after SAH, 6 patients not suffering SAH, and 8 normal controls.