Cerebral blood flow and edema in perinatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage.
The relationship between cerebral blood flow (CBF) and the evolution of brain edema was investigated in an experimental model of perinatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage. Seven-d postnatal rats were subjected to unilateral common carotid artery ligation followed by 3 h of hypoxia with 8% oxygen at 37 degrees C. This insult produces neuronal necrosis and/or infarction only in the cerebral hemisphere ipsilateral to the arterial occlusion in the majority of animals; hypoxia alone produces no damage. CBF, measured by the indicator diffusion technique using iodo[14C]-antipyrine, and tissue water content were determined concurrently in both cerebral hemispheres at specific intervals during recovery from cerebral hypoxia-ischemia. Water contents in the ipsilateral cerebral hemisphere were 89.1, 89.6, 89.7, 91.0, and 88.3% at 30 min, 4 h, 24 h, 3 d, and 6 d, respectively (p less than 0.001); whereas the percent tissue water in the contralateral hemisphere was unchanged from values in nonligated, hypoxic control rats (87.7%). CBF was similar in both cerebral hemispheres at 30 min, 4 h, and 24 h of recovery (50-65 mL/100 g/min) and not different from age-matched controls. At 3 and 6 d, CBF in the ipsilateral cerebral hemisphere was 30 and 26% of the contralateral hemisphere and 23 and 29% of the control animals, respectively (p less than 0.001). No inverse correlation existed between the changes in brain water content and CBF at any interval until 6 d of recovery. Thus, an early hypoperfusion does not follow perinatal cerebral hypoxia-ischemia, as occurs in adults.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Mujsce
D J
DJ
Department of Pediatrics (Neonatology and Neurology), Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey 17033.
Christensen
M A
MA
Vannucci
R C
RC
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001834:Body Water / Q000032:analysis; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications*; D007511:Ischemia / Q000150:complications*; D010500:Perinatology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains