BACKGROUND Severe head injury is associated with a stress response that includes hyperglycemia, which has been shown in both experimental and clinical studies to exacerbate the severity of brain injury during ischemic conditions. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the possible protective effect of Terguride (trans-dihydrolisuride) on glucose metabolism against hyperglycemia. METHODS The experiments were performed in male and female rats of Wistar and Koletsky strain. Glucose intolerance was induced in both strains by 4-hour-occlusion of both common carotid arteries followed by 44-hour reperfusion. RESULTS Brain ischemia induced glucose intolerance in both rat strains. Basal glycemia was significantly increased by the brain ischemia in male and female Wistar rats, but not in Koletsky rats. The analysis of the effect of Terguride treatment of glucose abnormalities on the "area under the glucose tolerance curve" (AUC) has shown significant decrease of AUC in both sexes of Wistar strain and in females of Koletsky strain. Basal glycemia was significantly decreased only in males of Wistar strain. CONCLUSIONS Terguride (trans-dihydrolisuride) decreases hyperglycemia in rats with ischemic brain damage. (Fig. 4, Ref. 29.)