title: The effect of distal aortic pressure on spinal cord perfusion in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aortic cross clamping is associated with spinal cord ischemia. This study used a rat spinal cord ischemia model to investigate the effect of distal aortic pressure on spinal cord perfusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=12) were divided into three groups. In group A (n=4), the aorta was not occluded. In groups B (n=4) and C (n=4), the aorta was occluded. In group B the distal aortic pressures dropped to around 20 mmHg. In group C, the distal aortic pressure was decreased to near zero. The carotid artery and tail artery were cannulated to monitor the proximal aortic pressure and the distal aortic pressure. Fluorescent microspheres were used to measure the regional blood flow in the spinal cord.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After aortic occlusion, blood flow to the cervical spinal cord showed no significant difference among the three groups. In groups B and C, the thoracic and lumbar spinal cord and renal blood flow decreased. No microspheres were detected in the thoracic and lumbar spinal cord of group C.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The spinal cord blood flow is dependent on the distal aortic pressure after thoracic aortic occlusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Kangwon National University Hospital, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Seong-Joon
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Se Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Kyung-Hak
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Gu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kang