Perivascular microapplication of endothelin-1: a new model of focal cerebral ischaemia in the rat

J Sharkey - Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism, 1993 - journals.sagepub.com
J Sharkey
Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism, 1993journals.sagepub.com
In the present study, we describe the effects of perivascular microapplication of the potent
vasoconstrictor peptide endothelin-1 (Et-1;(120 pmol in 3 μl), delivered via a guide cannula
stereotaxically positioned above the left cerebral artery (MCA) of the conscious male
Sprague–Dawley rat. Ten minutes after the administration of Et-1, mean arterial blood
pressure had increased by 20% and profound reductions in local cerebral blood flow (up to
93%) were observed within those brain areas supplied by the MCA. In addition, significant …
In the present study, we describe the effects of perivascular microapplication of the potent vasoconstrictor peptide endothelin-1 (Et-1; (120 pmol in 3 μl), delivered via a guide cannula stereotaxically positioned above the left cerebral artery (MCA) of the conscious male Sprague–Dawley rat. Ten minutes after the administration of Et-1, mean arterial blood pressure had increased by 20% and profound reductions in local cerebral blood flow (up to 93%) were observed within those brain areas supplied by the MCA. In addition, significant increases in local cerebral blood flow were observed within the globus pallidus (100%), substantia nigra pars reticulata (48%), ventrolateral thalamus (65%), and dorsal hippocampus (74%) ipsilateral to the insult. Twenty-four hours following the insult, the pattern of ischaemic damage was similar to that reported previously following permanent occlusion of the rat MCA. It is suggested that perivascular microapplication of Et-1 may provide a useful model for the study of the functional disturbances associated with focal cerebral ischaemia in the conscious rat.
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