Mechanisms underlying response to hypercapnia and bicarbonate of isolated dog cerebral arteries.

In helical strips of dog cerebral arteries contracted with K+ or prostaglandin F2 alpha, the increase in CO2 from 5 to 15% in the gas aerating the bathing media produced a persistent relaxation in association with a rise of PCO2 and a fall of pH and PO2. Elevation of the NaHCO3 concentration from 25 to 75 mM in the bathing media under hypercapnia almost reversed the arterial tone when the osmolarity was balanced; the pH was completely reversed, whereas PCO2 was maintained at the high level. When 50 mM NaHCO3 were applied to the hypercapnic media without having the osmolarity balanced, the arteries relaxed further. Infusions of the HCl solution lowered the pH and relaxed the arterial strips; however, such a relaxation was significantly less than that caused by hypercapnia-induced acidosis. Relaxant responses to hypercapnia were attenuated by treatment with ouabain but were not influenced by amiloride and superoxide dismutase or by removal of endothelium. Relaxations due to hypertonic NaHCO3 were abolished or reversed to contractions by ouabain and were reduced by treatment with amiloride. It may be concluded that the hypercapnia-induced cerebroarterial relaxation is associated mainly with a fall of extracellular pH and is mediated partly by an activation of the electrogenic Na+ pump. Cerebral vasodilatation by increased osmolarity with NaHCO3 appears to result from stimulated Na+-H+ exchange and activated Na+ pump.