Abstract: Recent studies have suggested that protein kinase C(PKC)may be involved in thefoimation of brain edema.In this paper,the effects of two kinds of PKC inhibitors,H-7 and matrine,were examined on the brain edema formation in experimental models.The resuIts showed thatpretreatment with H-7 6.25 and l2.5mg·kg^-1 prevented the accumulation of water and certainelectrolytes in the unilateral hemisphere of the brain evoked.by ligation of a single common carotidartery in Mongolian gerbil; pretreatment with matrine 25 and 50 mg·k-1 reduced the extent ofcerebral edema foimation evoked by ligation of a single common carotid artery in gerbil and by middlecerebral artery occlusion in Sprague-Dawley rats.These resuIts present new evidence for theinvolvement of PKC in the formation of brain edema.