The neuroprotective effects of NBQX, a selective antagonist for the AMPA/kainate subtype of excitatory amino acid receptors, were investigated in a rat focal ischaemia model, involving permanent occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA). NBQX (3, 10 or 30 mg/kg) was administered i.v. immediately after MCA occlusion and again 1 h later. The highest dose of NBQX (2 x 30 mg/kg) gave significant protection against hemispheric (24%) and cortical (27%) ischaemic damage. The lower doses of NBQX (2 x 3 or 2 x 10 mg/kg) were ineffective. No protection was seen against caudate damage for any of the doses of NBQX tested. NBQX has a t1/2 of 30 min, therefore, a second experiment was done in which a dose of 30 mg/kg was given as an i.v. bolus followed immediately by an infusion of 10 mg/kg/h for 4 h, dosing was started immediately after MCA occlusion. This dosing regimen resulted in a mean plasma level over the 4 h of 17 micrograms/ml, and significant protection against the volume of hemispheric (29%) and cortical (35%) ischaemic damage, which was slightly better than that achieved with two bolus doses of 30 mg/kg. Once again no protection was seen against caudate damage. We conclude that NBQX, an AMPA/kainate antagonist was neuroprotective in a focal ischaemia model in the rat.