Cerebral effects of extended hyperventilation in unanesthetized goats.

Thirty-six adult, male unanesthetized goats were hyperventilated to a PaCO2 level of 16-18 mm Hg for 6 hours. Arterial and sagittal sinus blood and cerebrospinal fluid were analyzed for pH, blood gases, bicarbonate, lactate, and pyruvate before hyperventilation, during hyperventilation, and after the termination of hyperventilation. Total cerebral blood flow, regional brain blood flows, and cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen were calculated from the distribution of radioactive microspheres. Intracranial pressure was measured in either the right or left cerebral ventricle. With the initiation of hyperventilation, cerebral blood flow and cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen fell significantly (64 +/- 5 ml/100 g/min to 41 +/- 3; 4.6 +/- 0.3 ml O2/100 g/min to 3.6 +/- 0.2), but both returned to prehyperventilation values within 6 hours of hyperventilation. With termination of hyperventilation, cerebral blood flow and cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen increased significantly above control levels (64 +/- 5 vs. 105 +/- 9; 4.6 +/- 0.3 vs. 5.4 +/- 0.4). Intracranial pressure was unaffected by hyperventilation or its termination. Arterial and sagittal sinus blood and cerebrospinal fluid pH increased with hyperventilation but returned to control values by 6 hours. However, pH was still significantly elevated at 6 hours. Lactate and pyruvate followed a similar pattern except in the cerebrospinal fluid, where both increased throughout the course of hyperventilation. There were no significant differences in the lactate:pyruvate ratio. On termination of hyperventilation, pH of the arterial and sagittal sinus blood and cerebrospinal fluid fell below control levels. Bicarbonate values decreased in all fluid compartments and were still below control values 2 hours after the cessation of hyperventilation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)