RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study neuro-protective effect of naomaitong on brain damage after focal cerebral ischemia reperfusion (I/R) in the aged rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>11 groups of 20-22-month old SD rats were subjected to 3 hours of middle cerebral artery occlusion with the intraluminal filament technique, followed by 12 hours of reperfusion. Nervous symptom, oedema of brain, infarct size, morphology and superfine structure of brain, etc were monitored thoughout cerebral ischemia and reperfusion.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Infarct size of brain in ischemia and reperfusion groups were significantly greater. Oedema of it was higher, nervous symptom of it was more serious, and morphology and superfine structure brain were more obvious than those of sham-operated group. Nervous symptom, oedema of brain, infarct size, morphology and superfine structure of brain in treated groups were ligher than those of untreated groups (P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Naomaitong can protect brain damage after focal cerebral I/R in the aged rats.</p>