Abstract
Summary
It has previously been shown that total and regional cerebral blood flows are severely decreased during endotoxin shock. The effects of methylprednisolone and volume expansion therapy on the regional cerebral blood flows during endotoxin shock in anesthetized dogs are described. Methylprednisolone (Solu-Medrol; 30 mg/kg) was injected iv 15 min prior to infusion of E. coli endotoxin (1 mg/kg) and hourly (⋍8 mg/kg) for 4 hr of shock. Regional cerebral blood flows were determined using the radioactive-labeled particle distibution technique. In contrast to untreated dogs, treated dogs exhibited no change or an increased blood flow in seven regions of the brain at 2 hr of shock; blood flows in the pons, medulla, hypothalamus, thalamus, and pituitary were not significantly different than control at 4 hr of shock. These data suggest that pretreatment with methylprednisolone, combined with supplemental doses and volume expanders, protects the cerebral circulation during endotoxin shock.
This research was supported in part by The Upjohn Co., Kalamazoo, Michigan, and the Michigan Heart Association.
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