title: Cerebrovascular responsiveness to CO2 in Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis in rabbits.
abstract: The effect of experimental meningitis on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (CMRO2), and cerebrovascular responsiveness to CO2 was determined in pentobarbital-anesthetized rabbits. The animals were inoculated intracisternally with saline (control) or log-phase Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). Eighteen hours later rCBF was determined with radiolabeled microspheres at normocapnia, hypocapnia, and hypercapnia. Cerebrovascular responses to hypocapnia and hypercapnia were assessed by calculating the change in cerebrovascular resistance per millimeter mercury change in PaCO2. At all CO2 levels, meningitis (M) was associated with elevated CBF compared with control (C: 47.5 +/- 3.0, M: 60.9 +/- 4.5 ml.100 g-1.min-1 at normocapnia, P < 0.01). Regional differences were present. In forebrain, the hyperemia in meningitis was confined to the superficial cortical grey matter. When compared with control, meningitis was not associated with altered vasoreactivity during hypocapnia (C: -0.026 +/- 0.006, M: -0.026 +/- 0.008 mmHg.ml-1 x 100 g-1.min-1.mmHg PaCO2(-1)) or hypercapnia (C: -0.037 +/- 0.004, M: -0.026 +/- 0.008 mmHg.ml-1 x 100 g.min.mmHg PaCO2(-1)). CMRO2 in meningitis was not significantly different from control (C: 3.53 +/- 0.29, M: 3.51 +/- 0.22 ml O2.100 g-1.min-1). These findings indicate that cerebrovascular responsiveness to CO2 is preserved in experimental Hib meningitis. Furthermore, enhanced CBF together with unchanged CMRO2 indicates that "luxury" cerebral perfusion is present in this model of bacterial meningitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Slater
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Berkowitz
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Traystman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae; D008297:Male; D008583:Meningitis, Haemophilus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011817:Rabbits; D012016:Reference Values; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide