British Journal of Anaesthesia, Vol 80, Issue 5 639-643, Copyright © 1998 by The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia
I. R. Piper, M. A. Garrioch, M. J. Souter, PJD. Andrews and D. Thomson
Diaspirin cross-linked haemoglobin (DCLHb) is a new oxygen carrying blood
substitute with vasoactive properties. Vasoactive properties may be
mediated via high affinity binding of nitric oxide by the haem moiety.
Using a rodent model of head injury combined with ischaemia, we studied the
effects of DCLHb on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and intracranial pressure
(ICP). Twenty anaesthetized rats were allocated randomly to receive
treatment with DCLHb 400 mg kg-1 i.v. or placebo (oncotically matched
plasma protein substitute 4.5% i.v.). To produce diffusely increased ICP,
after a severe weight drop injury, all animals underwent a 30-min period of
bilateral carotid ligation combined with a period of induced hypotension.
After reperfusion, DCLHb or placebo was infused and the animals
instrumented for measurement of intraventricular ICP and CBF in the region
of the sensorimotor cortex using the hydrogen clearance technique. Mean
arterial pressure (MAP), ICP, cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) (CPP = MAP
- ICP) and CBF were measured 4 h after injury in all animals. DCLHb
significantly reduced ICP from mean 13 (SEM 2) to 3 (1) mm Hg (P <
0.001), increased CPP from 52 (8) to 95 (6) mm Hg (P < 0.001) and
increased CBF from 21 (2) to 29 (2) ml 100 g-1 min-1 (P = 0.032). We
conclude that DCLHb improved CPP without a reduction in CBF in a rodent
model of post-traumatic brain swelling.
LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS
Effects of diaspirin cross-linked haemoglobin on post-traumatic cerebral perfusion pressure and blood flow in a rodent model of diffuse brain injury
Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh; Department of Clinical Physics, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow; Department of Anaesthesia, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow
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