The effect of nimodipine on autoregulation of cerebral blood flow after subarachnoid haemorrhage in rat.

Disturbance of the autoregulation of the cerebral blood flow (CBF) is frequently seen following subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) and is possibly partly caused by cerebral ischaemia. It is well-known, that the calcium channel blocker nimodipine reduces the incidence of cerebral infarction and ischaemic dysfunction after SAH. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of nimodipine on autoregulation of CBF in an experimental model of SAH. The autoregulation was investigated in 10 control rats with SAH and in 10 nimodipine treated rats with SAH by serial measurements of CBF using a 133Xenon intracarotid injection method during controlled blood pressure manipulations. In the control rats the autoregulation was severely disturbed, no plateau was found where CBF was independent of changes in the arterial blood pressure (MABP). In rats treated with intravenous nimodipine (0.03 mg/kg body weight/h), CBF was 33.0% higher and MABP 5.3% higher compared with the controls. CBF was found constant in the MABP interval between 60 and 100 mmHg which indicates, that nimodipine improves the autoregulation of CBF after SAH.