Interferon-β administration confers a beneficial outcome in a rabbit model of thromboembolic cerebral ischemia

We demonstrate that treatment with the cytokine human interferon-beta (IFN-beta) resulted in a beneficial outcome in a rabbit model of thromboembolic cerebral ischemia. Rabbits administered subcutaneously with IFN-beta prior to (pretreatment) or after (post-treatment) the introduction of an autologous blood clot into the middle cerebral artery have consistently smaller subcortical infarct volumes compared to control (untreated) counterparts. The average subcortical infarct volume of pre-treatment rabbits is 46.3 +/- 9.3 mm(3) (n = 4), and that of post-treatment rabbit is 40.0 +/- 23.1 mm(3) (n = 4). Both are significantly lower (P = 0.003 and P = 0.004, respectively) than the average subcortical infarct volume of control rabbits (121.6 +/- 32.9 mm(3), n = 5). Although the precise mechanism responsible for the beneficial effect of IFN-beta on stroke is not yet clear, our results are in line with the known anti-inflammatory potential and anti-apoptotic function of IFN-beta. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.