Background and Purpose L-Threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine (DOPS) is reported to increase the nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis in cultured mouse L-M fibroblast and astroglial cells, and this effect is not blocked by treatment with decarboxylase inhibitor. NGF is suggested to play an important role in neuronal survival and regeneration under pathological conditions. We evaluated the possible protective effect of DOPS against hippocampal CA1 cell death after transient forebrain ischemia in gerbils.Methods Male mongolian gerbils were treated with DOPS (30, 100, or 300 mg/kg IP) plus benserazide (10 mg/kg IP) (n=28) or vehicle (n=7) before 3.5 minutes of forebrain ischemia. For histopathologic study, the animals were decapitated 7 days after recirculation, and neuronal density of the hippocampal CA1 area was counted after cresyl violet staining. For immunohistochemical study, another group of gerbils (n=34) was recovered for 1,3, and 8 hours and 1, 2, and 7 days, when they were decapitated. The brain sections were stained against NGF, NGF receptor, and HSP70 using the avidinbiotin-peroxidase method.Results Preservation of the hippocampal CA1 cells was found in the brains treated with 300 mg/kg DOPS plus

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