Cerebral circulatory effects of a dopaminergic agonist (apomorphine) in the dog.

Dopaminergic influence upon cerebral circulation was studied in 12 adult mongrel dogs, local cerebral blood flow (lCBF) being measured by the microspheres method. The intravenous injection of apomorphine (0.1 mg/kg) produced heterogeneous effects on lCBF; an increase in lCBF reaching the level of statistical significance was observed in frontal and sensory motor cortices, whereas blood flow was not significantly altered in the other regions examined. When the animals are considered individually, a widespread response was generally observed. Local cerebral blood flow increased from 16% to 85% (depending on the regions examined) in 4 animals, and tended to decrease (particularly in the caudate nucleus) in the 8 others. These opposite effects cannot be related with changes in general metabolic or hemodynamic parameters (PaCO2, PaO2, pH, and arterial pressure). It is thus concluded that the effect of dopaminergic stimulation upon cerebral circulation is more complex than previously reported. These effects could only be partly mediated via vascular receptors and could be the result of modifications of the local metabolic level.