title: Effects of perfluorocarbon dodecafluoropentane (NVX-108) on cerebral microvasculature in the healthy rat.
abstract: NVX-108, a dodecafluoropentane-based perfluorocarbon (PFC) emulsion, has therapeutic potential as an oxygen- carrying fluid for emergency medical treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and hemorrhagic shock. Potential cerebral vasoactive properties were assessed by directly measuring pial arteriolar vessel diameters before and after a 30 minute intravenous (IV) infusion of 1.0 ml/kg (high dose [H]) or 0.25 ml/kg (low dose [L]) NVX-108 compared to 2.0 ml/kg Saline (control) in healthy anesthetized rats (N = 6/group). Results showed that post-infusion vessel diameters for small (< 50 µm) and medium (50-100 µm)-sized pial arterioles were significantly (p < 0.05) narrower after only the NVX- 108 H infusion although this vasoconstriction was not statistically significant when analyzed as a percentage change in these vessels. Pial arteriolar vessel diameters were not significantly different for mean value or percentage change after either NVX-108 L or Saline infusions. There were no significant post-infusion changes from baseline in systolic, mean or diastolic blood pressures after any of the treatments although post-infusion blood pressure was statistically higher in the NVX-108 L group compared to NVX-108 H and Saline groups. Arterial blood gases, methemoglob in and lactate were not different from baseline or among groups. No adverse events were observed at either dose of NVX-108. In conclusion, neither 0.25 nor 1.0 ml/kg NVX-108 caused vasoconstriction in cerebral pial arterioles of healthy rats nor resulted in blood pressure changes; the compound should be considered for further investigation for TBI therapy.
authors.forename: Paula F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Moon-Massat
authors.forename: Rania
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abutarboush
authors.forename: Georgina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pappas
authors.forename: Ashraful
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haque
authors.forename: Chioma
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aligbe
authors.forename: Francoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arnaud
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Auker
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McCarron
authors.affiliation: Naval Medical Research Center, 503 Robert Grant Ave., Bldg. 503, Silver Spring, MD 20910-7500, USA. Paula.moon-massat@med.navy.mil.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scultetus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D010420:Pentanes
chemical_list: D005466:Fluorocarbons; C008806:perfluoropentane; D010420:Pentanes