Abstract: Abstract： Objective To investigate the effects of fasudil on expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax in cerebral cortex of model rats with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Methods Thirty rats were divided into sham operation group, SAH group and SAH+ fasudil group, 10 rats in each group. Double injection of blood into occipital cistern method was used for SAH model in SAH group and SAH+ fasudil group. In the sham operation group, the blood injection was instead by normal saline. In the SAH+ fasudil group, at 30 min after the second injection of blood, rats were administrated with intraperitoneal injection of fasudil at a dose of 3 mg/kg. The general situation, neurological score, TUNEL staining for cortex cell apoptosis, immune histochemical staining and Western blotting assay for Bcl- 2 and Bax protein expression were compared 24 h after the operation between the three groups. Results Compared with the sham operation group, rats in SAH group and SAH + fasudil group appeared obvious neurological deficits. The neurological score was significantly lower in SAH group (2.68± 0.31) than that of sham operation group (5.00±0.00). The neurological score was significantly higher in SAH + fasudil group (3.27±0.35) compared with that of SAH group (2.68±0.31, P＜0.05). There was obvious cell apoptosis in SAH group and SAH + fasudil group, and the apoptosis was less in SAH + fasudil group than that of SAH group (P＜0.05). The level of Bcl- 2 expression was significantly lower in SAH group than that of sham operation group, and Bax expression was significantly higher in SAH group than that of sham operation group (P＜0.05). The level of Bcl-2 expression was significantly higher in SAH + fasudil group than that of SAH group, but Bax expression was significantly lower in SAH + fasudil group than that of SAH group (P＜0.05). Conclusion Fasudil can improve the neurological damage in rats with SAH, which may be related with the regulation of apoptosis related proteins Bcl-2 and Bax.

Key words: subarachnoid hemorrhage, genes, bcl-2, bcl-2-associated X protein, apoptosis, fasudil