Abstract: Reperfusion after focal cerebral ischemia induced an increase in the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), a product of lipid peroxidation, in ischemic brain. dl-3-n-Butylphthalide (dl-NBP, 20 mg.kg^-1, ip). was shown to decrease the content of MDA in cerebral cortex of rats subjected to 1 h reperfusion following 6 h MCAO. dl-NBP, d-NBP and l-NBP were also shown to inhibit the production of superoxide boon in xanthine-xanthine oxidase reaction system in vitro. The effect of dl-NBP, d-NBP and l-NBP on superoxide anion may be due to their capability of inhibiting the activity of xanthine oxidase. The results suggest that dl-NBP may possess inhibiting effect on the formation of superoxide anion and reducing effect on lipid peroxidation during reperfusion after cerebral ischemia.

Key words: dl-3-n-Butylphthalide, Cerebral ischemia, Malondialdehyde, Superoxide anion, Xanthine oxidase