Bilateral hemispheric reduction of cerebral blood volume and blood flow immediately after experimental cerebral hemorrhage in cats.

Acute cerebral circulatory changes following experimental cerebral hemorrhage were investigated in eight cats. The cerebral hemorrhage was produced in the right basal ganglia by introducing arterial blood via a thin catheter, using the systemic arterial blood pressure of the cat as a driving force. Local cerebral blood volume was measured continuously in the bilateral parietotemporal cortexes employing photoelectric apparatuses. Carbon black dilution curves were recorded from the regions, and the mean transit time of blood was calculated. Local cerebral blood flow was estimated from mean transit time and cerebral blood volume. Intracranial pressure was monitored continuously in the right parietal epidural space. Five minutes after cerebral hemorrhage, intracranial pressure increased by 24.0 +/- 6.1 mm Hg, while mean arterial blood pressure increased by only 2.9 +/- 2.0 mm Hg. Cerebral blood volume decreased by 1.60 +/- 0.24 vol% in the hemorrhagic and 1.14 +/- 0.30 vol% in the nonhemorrhagic hemisphere. Cerebral blood flow decreased by 30.0 +/- 4.5 ml/100 g brain/min in the hemorrhagic (initially 64.5 +/- 13.6) and by 30.3 +/- 7.5 ml/100 g brain/min in the nonhemorrhagic (initially 60.9 +/- 6.9) hemisphere. Increased intracranial pressure appeared to be the main cause of the observed cerebral blood volume/flow reduction shortly after experimental hemorrhage in the basal ganglia. Several other factors and mechanisms involved are discussed.