Cerebral Blood Flow in Ischemia Caused by Carotid Artery Ligation in the Rat

Abstract In order to study if bilateral ligation of the carotid arteries, either alone or combined with moderate arterial hypotension is accompanied by a macroscopically uneven brain perfusion, the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured using the antipyrine‐ 14 C method with direct counting of the radioactivity in the tissue. Ligation of the carotid arteries at normal blood pressure decreased blood flow in the frontal‐parietal regions by about 50 % in both hemispheres. At a mean blood pressure of 100 mm Hg, the ligation caused a further reduction in flow but the results were variable and gross differences often occurred between the hemispheres. At 70 mm Hg in blood pressure carotid occlusion drastically reduced the frontal‐parietal rCBF but flow in the occipital and basal temporal regions was usually better upheld. It is concluded that in the rat, combined carotid artery ligation and moderate hypotension gives rise to a macroscopically inhomogenous reduction in rCBF, and that regions of nonperfusion may coexist with adequately perfused areas.