The researchers wanted to see if a drug called penhyclidine hydrochloride (PHC) could help protect the brain in rats with brain injuries caused by a substance called lipopolysaccharide (LPS). They gave some rats PHC and others did not. They found that rats treated with PHC had less leakage of a dye into their brains, lower levels of inflammation, and less water in their brains compared to rats not treated with PHC. This suggests that PHC can help protect the brain in rats with LPS-induced brain injuries.