The CA1 pyramidal cells and dentate hilar neurons are selectively vulnerable to forebrain ischemia. Although brief ischemia induces tolerance to subsequent ischemia in the CA1 pyramidal neurons, a protective effect of preceding brief ischemia on the dentate hilar neurons has not been established. We observed that vulnerable dentate hilar neurons were strongly laminin-immunopositive and used laminin immunohistochemistry to estimate the fate of dentate hilar neurons after ischemia. Pretreatment of brief sublethal ischemia, which effectively protects the CA1 neurons, failed to prevent the death of dentate hilar neurons. These results indicate that brief ischemia failed to induce tolerance to subsequent longer ischemia in the dentate hilar neurons.