Neurological deterioration during the first day after
intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is associated with early
hematoma growth in 18 to 38% of patients. While clinical studies continue to evaluate efficacy of activated recombinant
factor VII (rFVlla) for reducing frequency of early
hematoma growth, there have been no studies investigating the effect of
rFVIIa on early
hematoma growth. We used a
collagenase-induced ICH model in the rat to evaluate the effects of
rFVIIa on early
hematoma growth. Two hours after injection of 0.14 U of type IV bacterial
collagenase in 10 microL of saline into the basal ganglia, a small amount of blood collected in the striatum. The ICH gradually increased in size, extending posteriorly to the thalamus by 24 hours after injection.
Intravenous administration of
rFVIIa immediately after
collagenase injection decreased average
hematoma volume at 24 hours compared with vehicle-treated group (168.1 +/- 13.4 mm3 vs. 118.3 +/- 23.0 mm3, p < 0.01). There was also a decrease in total
hemoglobin content in rats treated with rFVlla compared with vehicle-treated rats (optical density at 550 nm: 0.87 +/- 0.08 vs. 0.71 +/- 0.09, p < 0.05). There was no difference in cortical brain water content overlying the
hematoma between the rFVlla- and vehicle-treated groups (81.4 +/- 0.7% vs. 81.7 +/- 0.4%). Our study indicates that treatment with rFVIla may be useful in reducing the frequency of early
hematoma growth in ICH patients.