Effects of iodinated contrast media in a novel model for cerebral vasospasm.
OBJECTIVE
We developed an in vitro model for vasospasm post subarachnoid hemorrhage that was suitable for investigating brain vessel autoregulation. We further investigated the effects of iodinated contrast medium on the vascular tone and the myogenic response of spastic cerebral vessels.


METHODS
We isolated and perfused the superior cerebellar arteries of rats. The vessels were pressurized and studied under isobaric conditions. Coagulated blood was used to simulate subarachnoid hemorrhage. The contrast medium iodixanol was applied intraluminally.


RESULTS
Vessels exposed to blood developed significantly stronger myogenic tone (65.7 ± 2.0% vs 77.1 ± 1.2% of the maximum diameter, for the blood and the control group, respectively) and significantly decreased myogenic response, compared with the control groups. The contrast medium did not worsen the myogenic tone or the myogenic response in any group.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that deranged myogenic response may contribute to cerebral blood flow disturbances subsequent to subarachnoid hemorrhage. The contrast medium did not have any negative influence on vessel tone or myogenic response in this experimental setting.
Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Institut fuer Vegetative Physiologie, Berlin, Germany;
Tatiana
T
Nikitina
Medical Faculty Mannheim, Research Division Cardiovascular Physiology, Mannheim, Germany.
Olga
O
Zavaritskaya
Russian Polenov Neurosurgical Institute, Laboratory of Brain Circulation Pathology, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
Vladimir
V
Semenyutin
Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Institut fuer Vegetative Physiologie, Berlin, Germany;
Pontus B
PB
Persson
Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Institut fuer Vegetative Physiologie, Berlin, Germany;
Andreas
A
Patzak
Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Institut fuer Vegetative Physiologie, Berlin, Germany;
Mauricio
M
Sendeski
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply*; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007455:Iodine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D024510:Muscle Development / Q000502:physiology; D011312:Pressure; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D020301:Vasospasm, Intracranial / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology
D003287:Contrast Media; D007455:Iodine