Abstract
This study investigates the effect of azetazolamide on cerebral blood flow, blood pressure, and CO2 elimination.
9 newborn piglets were studied. They were anaesthetised ventilated, paralysed, and arterial and venous catheters were inserted. A fontanelle was surgically created and cerebral blood velocity (CBV) in an intracranial artery measured with a 5 MHz computerised Doppler (Vingmed SD 100) system held on the fontanelle.
50 mg/kg acetazolamide IV produced a large increase in CBV (median 70%,range 38-100%) with no change in arterial pressure. Within 1 minute of administration of acetazolamide, end-expiratory CO2 started to fall (median fall 45%) and arterial pCO2 started to rise (median rise 1.3 kPa), despite controlled ventilation being unchanged. The vasodilatation response to acetazolamlde was lost if the cerebral circulation was already dilated by a high pCO2.
It seems likely that acetazolamlde inhibits the transfer of CO2 from brain tissue to bicarbonate within cerebral blood vessels and so allows local build-up of CO2 around the cerebral vessels smooth muscle, thus producing cerebral vasodilatation.
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Thoresen, M., Whitelaw, A. 17 CEREBRAL VASODILATATION RESPONSE TO ACETAZOLAMIDE IN THE HEALTHY NEWBORN PIGLET. Pediatr Res 24, 263 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198808000-00043
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198808000-00043