Abstract: Endothelin was injected into subarachnoid space of spinal cord in eighteen rats. The functional state of the animals hindlimbs was observed and recorded. After half an hour, two hours or four hours the rats were killed. Pathologicaly the spinal cord revealed ischemic and hypoxic changes. The changes at two hours and four hours were more severe than that of half an hour. The changes of thoracic and lumbar segment of the spinal cords were more severe than that of the cervices and sacra. We found that the founctional state of rat hindlimbs was not in proportion to the morphological changes of corresponding spinal cord.

Key words: endothelin, intrathecal injection, ischemic and hypoxic changes