Comparison of vascular reactivity in spinal cord and brain.

The local tissue PO2 in the brain cortex and in the spinal cord of rats was examined with ultramicroelectrodes. In the spinal cord the PO2 was highest in white matter, intermediate in dorsal horn gray matter, and lowest in the ventral horn gray matter. In the gray matter of the cord, as well as in the brain, the PO2 at a fixed locus was found normally to oscillate. CO2 responses were more brisk in the cord than in the brain while the responses to hypoxia were similar. Therefore, it appears that the physiological regulation of blood flow in the spinal cord is qualitatively similar to that of the brain.