Cerebral blood flow and oxidative brain metabolism during and after moderate and profound arterial hypoxaemia

Summary In anaesthetized artificially ventilated dogs, the effect of graded arterial hypoxaemia on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and on the oxidative carbohydrate metabolism of the brain was tested. It is shown that the hypoxic vasodilatory influence on cerebral vessels is present even atmoderate systemic hypoxaemia, provided that PaCO₂ is kept within normal limits. At PaO₂ of about 50 Torr, CBF increased from 56.6 to 89.7 ml/100 g/min. With increasing cerebral hyperaemia (CBF increased to 110.9 ml/100 g/min, at PaO₂ of 30 Torr), CMRO₂ (4.2 ml/100 g/min) was not significantly raised above its normal level (4.7 ml/100 g/min) even with profound arterial hypoxaemia. This shows that CMRO₂ levels are poor indices of hypoxic hypoxia. A disproportionately high increase in cerebral glucose uptake (CMR glucose levels rose from 4.4 to 10.4 mg/100 g/min) and enhanced cerebral glycolysis (CMR lactate changed from 0.2 to 1.6 mg/100 g/min) at moderately reduced PaO₂ (50 Torr) indicated early metabolic changes which became more marked with further falls in arterial oxygen tension. However, 60 minutes after restoration of a normal PaO₂ level, CBF and brain metabolism were found to have completely recovered. It is concluded that a short period of profound systemic hypoxaemia does not produce long lasting metabolic and circulatory disorders of the brain provided the cerebral perfusion pressure does not vary, and is kept at normal levels.