[Production and absorption rate of cerebrospinal fluid in the spinal subarachnoid space of the dog (author's transl)].

Adult mongrel dogs, weighing 10-17 kg. were anesthetized with Nembutal and cervical and lumbosacral laminectomy was performed. The spinal subarachnoid space was blocked by extradural ligation at the level of the C4 to interrupt CSF communication between the cranial and spinal space. Polyethylene catheters were placed in the cervical and lumbosacral subarachnoid space, and artificial Mock CSF buffer, pH 7.35-7.40, containing inulin of 25 mg/dl or 14C-inulin of 1.5-2 muCi/dl as a tracer was perfused in the sacro-cervical direction through the catheter. After a steady state of perfusion was acommplished, the CSF was collected from the outlet catheter. Production and absorption rate of the CSF were calculated after Pappenheimer and Heisey's equation. 1) Effects of CSF pressure on the rate of production (Vf) and absorption (Va) of CSF and on the difference between outflow fluid rate (Vo) and inflow fluid rate (Vi) were studied within the pressure range of -100 to +600 mmH2O. Then, regression lines were calculated by means of the least square method. See Article. Vf was little affected by changes in CSF pressure, while Va increased linearly as CSF pressure elevated. This suggests that the spinal subarachnoid space plays an important role as a site of CSF absorption when the intracranial pressure increases. Vo-Vi, that is difference between absorption and production rate, decreased linearly as the CSF pressure increased. 2) Under a constant CSF pressure of +200 mmH2O, the effects of glucocorticoids (dexamethasone, 0.25 mg/kg and hydrocortisone, 4.15 mg/kg) and a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (acetazolamide, 10 mg/kg) upon the production and absorption rate of CSF were determined 1/2, 1, 2 and 3 hours after intravenous administration. a) Effect of dexamethasone: The rate of CSF production was reduced to 60.5 +/- 2.4% (p less than 0.001) of the control level. The absorption rate of CSF also decreased to 59.2 +/- 6.09% (p less than 0.001) of the control. b) Effect of hydrocortisone: The production rate of CSF decreased to 67.4 +/- 6.61% (p less than 0.001), and the absorption rate to 76.5 +/- 3.94% (p less than 0.001) of the control level. c) Effect of acetazolamide: The production and absorption rate also decreased to 57.2 +/- 5.61% (p less than 0.001) and to 56.9 +/- 7.02% (p less than 0.001), respectively. 3) Pentration of tritiated dexamethasone and tritiated hydrocortisone from plasma to CSF. The penetration of tritiated dexamethasone and tritiated hydrocortisone from plasma to CSF in the spinal and cranial subarachnoid space was observed after the intravenous administration. The CSF/Plasma ratio of dexamethasone was 30.9% at 15 minutes and gradually increased to 91.5% and 93.5%, respectively, in the cranial and spinal CSF at 3 hours after the injection.