Summary:The sensitivity of cerebral energy metabolism to ischemic and hypoxic stresses following global cere bral ischemia was evaluated in a cat model using 31p nu clear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic methods.Complete global cerebral ischemia of 5 to 10 min in length was produced at 1 h intervals by reversible arterial oc clusion, permitting continuous monitoring of NMR and EEG. Ischemia appeared to produce slightly more severeIn experimental models of recovery from cerebral ischemia, a brief period of reactive hyperemia is followed by long-lasting postischemic deficits in ce rebral blood flow (Hossmann et aI. , 1973; Levy et aI., 1979; Pulsinelli et aI., 1982; Kagstr6m et aI., 1983; Suzuki et aI., 1983). The pathophysiological processes that lead to postischemic hypoperfusion, while not clearly understood, seem to be related to an increased vascular tone (Schmidt-Kastner et aI., 1987). During the hypoperfusion phase, there is a lack of CO2 reactivity, indicating an uncoupling of cerebral blood flow and metabolic activity (Hoss mann et aI., 1973; Snyder et aI., 1975). For this reason, the brain may exhibit postischemic hyper sensitivity to additional hypoxic-ischemic stress, even if the levels of energy-yielding phosphates are
506energy failure in animals that had previously experienced an ischemic injury. Preischemic hypoxia (5% O2 for 5 min) resulted in minor changes in the levels of phos phocreatine and intracellular inorganic phosphate, which were slightly amplified in animals that previously experi enced ischemia. Key Words: Cerebral ischemia-Energy metabolism-31 P NMR-Hypoxia-Cat.replenished to normal before the secondary injury occurs. Such a postischemic metabolic hypersensi tivity to stress may be relevant, as suggested by a recent study (Tomida et aI., 1987) of repetitive ce rebral ischemia in gerbils, where animals receiving brief secondary and tertiary ischemic injuries were found to have a higher morbidity and were more prone to develop cerebral edema than animals ex periencing a single long ischemic episode.The present study was designed to evaluate the metabolic consequences of postischemic hypoper fusion in cats receiving repetitive ischemic injuries. In particular, it addresses the questions of how quickly metabolic parameters (high energy phos phates and pH) recover after ischemia, and whether hypoxic or further ischemic injuries result in a more serious decline or a slower recovery of these pa rameters. 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was chosen as the primary experi mental technique, because it is rapidly being ac cepted as a useful method for repetitive noninvasive measurements of cerebral energy status and intra cellular pH (for review, see Prichard and Shulman, 1986). The cat model was given preference to a ro dent model, because the physiologic state can be better controlled, and because the larger brain of-