Arterial Pco₂ and cerebral hemodynamics

¹ Department of Neurology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The effect of arterial Pco₂ in the control of cerebral hemodynamics over the full range of responsiveness of the cerebral vasculature was studied in the rhesus monkey. Cerebral perfusion pressure and arterial O₂ saturation were controlled so that they produced no significant effect on the cerebral circulation. Other possible sources of error, e.g., blood temperature, effect of anesthesia, development of metabolic acidosis, and validity of internal jugular measurements of cerebral blood flow were evaluated. Arterial Pco₂ was varied from 5 to 418 mm Hg in eight animals. The minimum and maximum cerebral blood flows obtained were 18 and 140 ml/min 100 g, respectively. These values were approached when the arterial Pco₂ was in the range of 10–15 mm Hg and 150 mm Hg, respectively. At these levels of arterial Pco₂ the maximum and minimum cerebrovascular resistance occurred. These values were 4.78 and 0.63 mm Hg/ml/min per 100 g, respectively. A mathematical analysis of the data enabled equations relating arterial Pco₂ to cerebrovascular resistance and to cerebral blood flow to be derived. Values predicted by these equations compare favorably with the actual measured data and with similar data in the literature.

Key Words: cerebral circulatory control in the monkey • minimum and maximum cerebral blood flow • cerebrovascular resistance vasodilatation and vasoconstriction in response to Pco₂ • venous outflow measurement of cerebral blood flow • blood flow response to hypo- and hypercapnia

Submitted on May 23, 1963

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