The stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR-SP) is one of the most suitable models for stroke study. The present trial work was undertaken so as to obtain further information concerning the action of a new furopyridine, cicletanine. Forty-six males--SHR-SP/Iffa Credo rats--aged 7 weeks, were divided into three groups. Group 1 was a control group, groups 2 and 3 were orally treated with cicletanine at 30 and 100 mg/kg. Their drinking water contained 1% NaCl. Systolic blood pressure, body weight, and survival were recorded. After 6 weeks, all the rats were sacrificed. Samples of heart, brain, and kidney were fixed for light and ultrastructural examination. We found that cicletanine treatment (30 and 100 mg/kg) had significantly inhibited the incidence of hypertensive cerebral damages as characterized by cerebral infarction and vascular alterations with fibrinoid necrosis. Compared with the control group, the rats treated with the cicletanine had a significantly increased survival rate (P less than .001); the cicletanine also had an important protective effect on tissue. Cicletanine administration prevented the development of hypertensive cerebral vascular damage, probably through direct action on the vascular walls.