Increases in cerebral interstitial fluid adenosine concentration during hypoxia, local potassium infusion, and ischemia.

This study used the brain dialysis technique to test the hypothesis that the adenosine concentration of cerebral interstitial fluid increases during situations in which cerebral oxygen supply is inadequate for oxygen demand. Sealed 300-micron hollow dialysis fibers were implanted in the caudate nucleus of pentobarbital-anesthetized rats and perfused at 2 microliter/min with artificial cerebrospinal fluid. In vitro tests indicated the recovery of adenosine, inosine, and hypoxanthine from the external medium to be approximately 20% at 2 microliter/min and close to 100% at 0.1 microliter/min. Three in vivo interventions were tested: hypoxia/hypotension (PaO2 = 41.9 mm Hg; MABP = 42.8 mm Hg; n = 9), local potassium infusion (n = 4), and cerebral anoxia/ischemia (n = 10). These interventions produced 10-, 4-, and 30-fold increases in perfusate adenosine concentration, respectively, as well as increases in perfusate concentrations of inosine and hypoxanthine. A separate group of rats (n = 9) perfused at 0.1 microliter/min yielded estimates of cerebral interstitial fluid adenosine, inosine, and hypoxanthine concentrations of 1.26, 3.30, and 7.19 microM, respectively. These results are consistent with the adenosine hypothesis for the regulation of CBF.