Abstract
The effects of hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) on the permanent focal cerebral ischemia were studied. Ischemia was induced by the occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery and right common carotid artery. Rats were pressurized to 3 atmospheres absolute at 10 min after the onset of ischemia for 120 min. During HBO the arterial oxygen tension was increased to 1570±130 mmHg. The arterial oxygen content of HBO group (26±1 ml/dl) was 22% higher than that of control group (21±1 ml/dl) . Although cerebral blood flows were reduced to about 50% of preischemic values in both groups, we could not find any effects of HBO on the cerebral blood flow in both hemispheres. Infarct volume measured at 24 hr after the onset of ischemia was reduced by 18% in the HBO group (132±13 mm3) compared with the control group (161±29 mm3) . HBO seems to have protective effects on the stroke by increasing the oxygen supply to the ischemic tissue.
