Parvalbumin immunoreactivity is examined in the hippocampus of the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) in controls and in animals subjected to 20 min of forebrain ischaemia produced by bilateral clipping of the carotids. In comparison with other species, the hippocampus of the gerbil is characterized by strong immunoreactivity of the (presumably excitatory) perforant pathway, and weak immunoreactivity (low numbers of neurons and scarce dendritic arbors) in nonpyramidal nerve cells (inhibitory neurons) of the CA1 area. These properties may play some role in the development and maintenance of seizures in this susceptible species. Parvalbumin immunoreactivity is rapidly and ephemerally increased in the hippocampus 15 min after reperfusion. Later on, there is a transitory decrease of parvalbumin immunoreactivity which is followed by an increase 6 h later in the stratum granulare hilus and CA3 area, and not until the first and second days in the CA1 area. This increase significantly surpasses the number of immunoreactive neurons in control animals in CA1 and CA3 from 48 h after reperfusion onwards. The effect is similar using different anaesthetics and does not occur in sham-operated animals. In contrast with these findings, the number of parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons in the somatosensory cortex is not affected in our model of forebrain ischaemia. On the other hand, GABA-immunoreactive neurons in CA1 are preserved during the first week after reperfusion, although an increase in the number of these cells occurs at the end of this period. Delayed neuronal death occurs in the CA1 area 48 h after ischaemia, and marked reduction in the number of CA1 neurons is found by the end of the first week. Eighty per cent of the remaining cells in CA1 at day 7, and 83% at day 15, are parvalbumin-immunoreactive nonpyramidal neurons in contrast to 3% parvalbumin-immunoreactive cells in control animals. These findings indicate that GABAergic neurons in CA1 are preserved after forebrain ischaemia, and that parvalbumin in CA1 neurons is associated with survival.