Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) en­zyme is induced in the central ner­vous system after various insults. It has been localized to neurons and in cells associated with the cerebral vas-culature where the system is involved in the inflammatory component of the ischaemic cascade, COX-2 is part of the initial reaction that involves the arachidonic acid cascade, which pro­duces molecules that involved in in­flammatory response. The present study evaluated the pharmacological effects of a specific COX-2 inhibitor (rofecoxib), in a permanent focal ce­rebral ischaemia model in albino rats
and its effects were compared to those of calcium channel blocker (ni-modipine).
Experiments were carried out on sixty male albino rats. Focal cereberal ischemia was induced by middle ce­rebral artery occlusion.
Rofecoxib and nimodipine were administered 30 minutes after the oc­clusion of middle cerebral artery [MCA] and then daily IP for succes­sive 6 days during which neurobehav-ioral evaluation was done. On the 7^th day of occlusion, the infarction size, was measure and the remote hippo-