When carbamazepine (Car) was injected ip 13.0-50.0 mg.kg-1 30 min before inhaling 96 % N2 + 4 % O2, the survival time of mice was prolonged (from 54 +/- 8 s in control group to 119 +/- 35 s). The survival time of mice subjected to bilateral carotid artery ligation was markedly prolonged by Car (25.0-50.0 mg.kg-1), medians were 4, 6, and 15 min, respectively. Car (25.5-70.0 mg.kg-1) alleviated the reduction of ATP (from 1.0 +/- 0.3 mumol.g-1 in control group to 1.9 +/-0.5 mumol.g-1) and phosphocreatine (PC) contents (from 0.8 +/- 0.2 mumol.g-1 in control group to 1.2 +/- 0.3 mumol.g-1) and the accumulation of lactic acid (LA ) (from 9.6 +/- 1.3 mumol-g-1 in control group to 6.7 +/- 0.7 mumol.g-1) in mouse brain 30 s after decapitation. These results indicated that Car was effective against hypoxia and brain ischemia in mice.