A pharmaceutical composition for treating or preventingcytopathy caused by ischemia, comprising a midkine family proteinas an active ingredient, and a pharmaceutical composition fortreating or preventing ischemic disorders, comprising a midkinefamily protein as an active ingredient, are provided. Midkineis efficacious in treating or preventing ischemic disorders andcytopathy caused by ischemia and can remarkably prevent, forexample, the development of cerebral infarction, a representativeof ischemic brain disorders. The pharmaceutical composition ofthe present invention is also efficacious against, for example,cerebral ischemic disorders such as cerebrovascular spasmfollowing a subarachnoid hemorrhage, Alzheimer's disease, seniledementia of Alzheimer ' s type, and cerebrovascular senile dementia,as well as cerebral ischemia, transient cerebral ischemic disease,and head trauma, and other cerebrovascular diseases such asParkinson's disease, Huntington's chorea, and amyotrophicregressive disorders.
