Neutralizing Antibody against Interleukin-6 Attenuates Posthemorrhagic Vasospasm in the Rat Femoral Artery Model

These results indicate that cytokine-mediated inflammation is active in the setting of posthemorrhagic vasospasm produced by the rat femoral artery model. In particular, the profound increase in IL-6 levels after exposure to hemorrhage and the ability of a polyclonal antibody against IL-6 to reduce vasospasm suggest that IL-6 may play a prominent role in the development of vasospasm in this model.