Effects of hematocrit on brain metabolism in experimentally induced cerebral ischemia in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).

Brain tissue lactate, pyruvate, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were measured 60 min after bilateral carotid ligation in spontaneously hypertensive rats, of which hematocrit (HCT) was varied by exchanging with isovolemic homologous red cells, plasma or whole blood. Supratentorial lactate of the ischemic brain was increased more in high HCT (greater than or equal to 50%) and less in low HCT (30-39%) compared with normal HCT (40-49%). In very low HCT (less than 30%), however, lactate was increased to further extent compared with any other group of HCT (ANOVA p less than 0.0001). Lactate/pyruvate (L/P) ratio of the ischemic brain showed similar changes, namely U-shaped correlation to HCT. In contrast, supratentorial ATP was decreased more markedly in very low HCT, followed by high and normal HCT, and minimally decreased in low HCT, demonstrating an inverse U-shaped relationship to HCT. Mean arterial pressure and arterial acid-base parameters in ischemic animals did not differ among HCT groups. There were no HCT-related changes of brain metabolites in non-ischemic control rats. These findings indicate that cerebral ischemia following carotid ligation is more severe in high HCT but less in low HCT, probably due to hemodynamic effects of HCT changes. When HCT is reduced to below 30%, however, insufficient oxygen supply to the brain or anemic hypoxia may superimpose on ischemia, resulting in more markedly impairment of brain metabolism. The role of HCT as a cause of cerebral ischemia and its severity is discussed.