In the present study the authors investigated the effect of pretreatment with exogenous antioxidants such as deferoxamine (iron chelating drug), allopurinol (competitive inhibitor of xanthine oxidase) and vitamin E (scavenger of oxygen free radicals) on lipid peroxidation in rat cerebral cortex after post-ischaemic reperfusion, and on the survival rate. The effect of pretreatment with two calcium-antagonist drugs (diltiazem and verapamil) was also evaluated under the same experimental conditions. Pretreatment with exogenous antioxidants and with calcium-antagonist drugs significantly decreased cerebral conjugated diene levels (index of lipoperoxidation) with a concomitant increase in survival with respect to untreated ischaemic rats.