The effects of ONO-1016, as an inhibitor of C1-/HCO3-exchange, on the brain edema and circulatory failure following cerebral ischemia were examined in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-SP). SHR-SP were divided into three groups: control (sham-operation), non-treated, ONO-1016 group, respectively. Cerebral ischemia was produced by bilateral carotid artery occlusion (BCAO) for 1 hr and then following reperfusion. The brain water content and local cerebral blood flow (LCBF) were determined by dry-wet method and 14C-iodoantipyrine method 2 hr after start of reperfusion. ONO-1016 was given intravenously at a dose of 100 micrograms/kg/min prior to ischemia. The brain water content increased in septum (SP), amygdala (AM) in both non-treated and ONO-1016 groups compared from those in control group. However, brain water contents in SP and midbrain were lower in ONO-1016 group than those in non-treated group. LCBFs decreased to 50-80% in SP, cerebral cortex (CT), striatum (ST), hippocampus (HC) and AM in non-treated group, while LCBFs decreased to 60-80% in SP, CT, ST, AM in ONO-1016 group when compared from those in control group. Decrease of LCBF in ST and HC in ONO-1016 group were less severe than those in non-treated group. From these results, ONO-1016 may prevent the brain edema formation associated with hypoperfusion during reperfusion period after ischemia in SHR-SP.