[Measurement of spinal cord blood flow in rabbits: central gray matter flow and CO2 reactivity (author's transl)].

Spinal cord blood flow (SCBF) was measured in 20 rabbits anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital. The platinum electrodes (0.3 mm in diameter) were inserted into the central gray matter of the thoracic spinal cord (Th8-10). In all animals, blood pressure and pAO2 remained constantly in the normal range. The pACO2 was changed by ventilation. Blood gases were checked both before and after each spinal cord blood flow measurement. The results are as follows. 1. Seventy-three percent of the clearances recorded from the gray matter were monoexponential and in the white matter almost all were monoexponential. 2. The mean values of gray matter SCBF of all animals was 38.3 +/- 1.85 ml/100 g/min (SE) at normo-capnea and the white matter was 19.5 +/- 1.33 ml/100 g/min. 3. An almost linear relationship exists between the pACO2 and SCBF. The values were 0.62 ml/100 g/min/torr in the gray matter and 0.38 ml/100 g/min/torr in the white matter.