The change in the subcellular distribution of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II was studied in the rat hippocampus following normothermic and hypothermic transient cerebral ischemia of 15 min duration. A decrease in immunostaining of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II was observed at 1 h of reperfusion which persisted until cell death in the CA1 region. In the CA3 and dentate gyrus areas immunostaining recovered at one to three days of reperfusion. The CA2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II was translocated to synaptic junctions during ischemia and reperfusion which could be due to a persistent change in the intracellular calcium ion homeostasis. The expression of the messenger RNA of the alpha-subunit of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II decreased in the entire hippocampus during reperfusion, and was most marked in the dentate gyrus at 12 h of reperfusion. This decrease could be a feedback downregulation of the mRNA due to increased Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II activation. Intraischemic hypothermia protected against ischemic neuronal damage and attenuated the ischemia-induced decrease of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II immunostaining in all hippocampal regions. Hypothermia also reduced the translocation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and restored Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha messenger RNA after ischemia. The data suggest that ischemia leads to an aberrant Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II mediated signal transduction in the CA1 region, which is important for the development of delayed neuronal damage. Hypothermia enhances the restoration of the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II mediated cell signalling.