Erythropoietin therapy for acute stroke is both safe and beneficial.

Background: Erythropoietin (EPO) and its receptor play a major role in embryonic brain, are weakly expressed in normal postnatal/adult brain and up-regulated upon metabolic stress. EPO protects neurons from hypoxic/ ischemic injury. The objective of this trial is to study the safety and efficacy of recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) for treatment of ischemic stroke in man.

Endothelin B receptor deficiency augments neuronal damage upon exposure to hypoxia-ischemia in vivo.

The role of functional endothelin-B (ETB)-receptors on neuronal survival upon hypoxia-ischemia (HI) has been investigated in 14-day-old ETB-receptor-deficient spotting lethal (sl/sl) and wildtype (+/+) rats. Carotid ligation followed by exposure to 8% oxygen for 2 h produced distinct cortical and hippocampal neuronal damage. Damage severity 24 h after HI was mild to intermediate in +/+ rats whereas large cortical infarcts and profound apoptosis of the hippocampus evolved in sl/sl rats.