Regional cerebral blood flows (rCBF) in the cortex, thalamus and midbrain of the dogs were measured by H
2 clearance method and compared before and during CO
2 inhalation. The responsiveness of rCBF to CO
2 was studied on the PaCO
2-rCBF curves obtained from the control group and denervated groups with phenoxybenzamine (POB), atropine or 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). The mean increase of cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSF-P) per unit increase in PaCO
2 was also calculated in each group for the PaCO
2 range below 65 mmHg. Findings were as follows :
1) PaCO
2-rCBF curves obtained from the thalamus and midbrain exhibited both concave function before administration of POB or Atropine, but changed to be linear function after POB or Atropine.
2) PaCO
2-rCBF curves obtained from the cortex were all linear function, and did not change significantly after POB or Atropine.
3) The values of ΔCSF-P/Δ PaCO
2 were considered to indicate the rate of increase in the volume of total cerebral vascular bed.
4) ΔCSF-P/ΔPaCO
2 remarkably decreased in the group with POB, but increased in the group with Atropine. In the group with 6-OHDA, howerver, the change in ΔCSF/-P/ΔPaCO
2 was not clear.
With these results, it was thought that the role of neurogenic factors is to maintain vascular tone in thalamus and midbrain areas when CO
2 effected these vessels as a vasodilator. In cortical circulation, however, the role of neurogenic factor was found to be insignificant, probably because cortical vessels were less innervated than thalamic and mesencephalic vessels.
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