Indomethacin prevents impaired perfusion of the dogs's brain after global ischemia.

Compression ischemia of the central nervous system (CNS) in heparinized dogs caused areas of diminished cerebral blood flow measured by 14C-antipyrine autoradiography. Intravenous infusion of indomethacin (1.5 or 4.0 mg/kg) approximately 1 hour before ischemia eliminated the circulatory defects. Prophylactic inhibition of prostaglandin synthetase may promote postischemic perfusion of the CNS by preventing vasoconstriction and by anti-hemostatic effects on blood.