Effect of intravenous prostaglandin E1 on pial vessel diameters and intracranial pressure in rabbits.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The main advantages of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) for induced hypotension during neurosurgery include a rapid onset of action, a quick recovery from hypotension, lack of toxicity, maintenance of adequate perfusion to vital organs, and maintenance of cerebral blood flow reactivity to carbon dioxide during hypotension. However, there is no report that shows the effect of PGE1 on cerebral microvessel diameter and only a few data are available that show the effect of PGE1 on intracranial pressure. The aim of this study was to measure cerebral arteriole and venule diameters and intracranial pressure (ICP) during PGE1-induced hypotension to evaluate whether PGE1 is suitable for neuroanesthesia. METHODS: We measured the effects of 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0, and 10.0 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1) of intravenous PGE1 on mean arterial pressure (MAP), cerebral arteriole and venule diameters and ICP in anesthetized rabbits. RESULTS: MAP decreased statistically significantly from baseline at the infusion rates of 1.0, 3.0, and 10.0 microg x kg(-1) x ml(-1). Arteriole diameter increased significantly from the baseline at the infusion rate of 10.0 microg x kg(-1) x ml(-1) (18% from control). Venule diameter did not change from baseline value at any infusion rate. ICP did not change from baseline value at any infusion rate. CONCLUSION: We conclude that PGE1 might be a suitable drug for induced hypotension in neurosurgery from the viewpoint of its small effect on the cerebral microvessels and ICP.