Local cerebral circulatory and metabolic effects of indomethacin

The effects of indomethacin, a prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor, upon local cerebral glucose utilization and local cerebral blood flow have been examined in 36 conscious, lightly restrained rats. Cerebral glucose utilization and cerebral blood flow were determined by means of the quantitative autoradiographic techniques that utilize, respectively, 2-deoxy-D-[1-14C]glucose and iodo[14C]antipyrine as tracer molecules. The administration of indomethacin (0.3-30 mg/kg iv) did not alter significantly the rate of glucose utilization in any of the 38 discrete regions of the central nervous system that were examined. In contrast, cerebral blood flow in every region was significantly reduced by between 30 and 50% from vehicle-injected control levels after the administration of 10 mg/kg iv indomethacin and by 5-31% after 1 mg/kg iv indomethacin. These results provide further evidence that prostaglandins may play a major role in cerebrovascular regulation, but they provide no positive evidence for a role in neuronal activity, as reflected in local cerebral glucose utilization.