Microcirculatory changes in the development of the cerebrovascular adaptation]

Recently, long-term cerebrovascular adaptations after unilateral carotid ligation that increase the tolerance of the brain to subsequent episode of ischemia was reported(J Cereb Blood Flow Metab, 1998). However, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the phenomenon was unknown. We examined regional cerebral blood flow(rCBF) before, during and after subsequent ischemia in the development of the adaptation. Male Wistar rats(n = 18) were used. Unilateral(right) carotid artery ligation was performed 3 hours(group A: n = 8), 3 days(group B: n = 10) before forebrain ischemia. With bilateral carotid arteries occlusion, mean arterial blood pressure(MABP) was reduced by hypobaric hypotension down to 50 mmHg and maintained constant for 30 min. After hypotension, the experiment continued for 90 min. Local CBF were registered at 25(5 x 5) identical locations by laser Doppler scanning in the cortex during the experiment in bilateral hemispheres(at control phase, after the left carotid artery ligation, during ischemia and after hypotension). The physiological variable such as blood pressure and gas analysis were within normal range in all groups. There were no differences of rCBF between the right and left hemispheres in group A during the experiment. In group A, rCBF of both hemispheres significantly decreased after the ligation of the left carotid artery, during the induced ischemia (P < 0.05), and recovered to the value of before ischemia. Whereas, in group B rCBF of the left side(non-occluded side) decreased after the ligation of the left carotid artery, during the induced ischemia(P < 0.05), and recovered to the value of before ischemia, but rCBF of the right side(occluded side) decreased only during the induced ischemia(P < 0.05) and rCBF of the right side was significantly higher than the left brain after ligation of the carotid artery, during ischemia and after hypotension(P < 0.05). On the basis of these data, we concluded that cerebrovascular adaptations can be acquired by 3 days after unilateral carotid artery occlusion and the tolerance phenomenon is certainly attributed to microcirculatory improvement.