Hyperglycemia enlarges infarct size in cerebrovascular occlusion in cats.

We investigated the influence of serum glucose concentration on infarct size following middle cerebral artery occlusion in cats. These animals were deprived of food for 48 hours and infused with 1) saline for 1 hour before and 8 hours after occlusion (n = 8), 2) 10% glucose solution for 1 hour before and 6 hours after occlusion and saline for 2 additional hours (n = 8), or 3) 10% glucose for 1 hour before and saline for 8 hours after occlusion (n = 5). Nineteen cats killed after 2 weeks' survival were subjected to morphometric infarct size determinations. Eight normoglycemic and 11 hyperglycemic cats exhibited infarcts affecting 10.2 +/- 3.4% and 29.5 +/- 6.5% (mean +/- SEM) of their middle cerebral artery territories, respectively (p less than 0.02). Cats of the two hyperglycemic groups showed similarly sized infarcts. However, two of eight (25%) of cats with preocclusion and postocclusion hyperglycemia died 8 and 24 hours after occlusion with infarction of the entire middle cerebral artery territory, marked hemispheral edema, and brainstem compression. Our results demonstrate that serum glucose concentration at the time of large cerebral vessel occlusion influences stroke outcome.