Abstract
The purpose of the present investigation was to study the effect of carteolol on blood pressure, regional cerebral blood flow and cardiac output in experimental middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion.
Nine rabbits were anesthetized with nitrous oxide, underwent 3 hours of right MCA occlusion. Five rabbits were untreated. Four rabbits were given carteolol (300 μg/ml saline) 30 μg/kg through the auricular vein immediately after MCA occlusion. The rCBF was measured by a laser doppler flowmeter, cardiac output was measured by thermodilution (1 ml bolus of iced water) and blood pressure with a transducer through the catheter introduced into the auricular artery.
Arterial blood pressure was significantly reduced at 2 hours after the occlusion and administration of carteolol, and had decreased about 15% at 3 hours, in the treated group. Cardiac output remained the same in both the treated and untreated groups. The rCBF decreased 5070% at 1 hour after MCA occlusion in both groups and recovered slightly in the treated group at 3 hours.
These results indicate that mean arterial pressure is reduced, but the rCBF is not reduced, by a pharmacological beta adrenergic blockade with carteolol in the acute stage of cerebral ischemia.
