Cisternal talc injection in dog can induce delayed and prolonged arterial constriction resembling cerebral vasospasm morphologically and pharmacologically.

BACKGROUND

The possible role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of cerebral vasospasm has been noted in recent studies. In order to examine the role of inflammation, we examined the vasocontractile activity of talc, which is known to cause severe inflammation, using a canine cisternal talc injection model.

METHODS

Under general anesthesia, a sterile talc powder suspended in saline was injected into the cisterna magna of the dog. Serial vertebral angiography and postmortem histologic changes of the harvested basilar artery were examined. The morphologic and pharmacologic features of talc-induced vessel spasm were compared with the usual autologous blood-induced artery spasm.

RESULTS

Cisternal injection of sterile talc powder caused no early spasm, but induced definite basilar arterial constriction 2 days after injection. This vascular constriction was observed to continue up to 7 days after injection. Ultrastructural study of the constricted vessel revealed several morphologic changes, such as corrugation of the elastic lamina, subintimal proliferation, migration of smooth muscle cells, detachment of endothelial cells, etc.; findings that are compatible with the changes observed in vasospasm. Pharmacologic study showed a moderate decrease in the maximal contraction to KCl and UTP. Endothelium-dependent relaxation was markedly disturbed, while endothelium-independent relaxation was preserved. These pharmacologic properties were also similar to those reported in vasospasm.

CONCLUSIONS

Our present study indicates that the several changes of vascular properties, which had been considered to be specific to cerebral vasospasm, can be regarded as a nonspecific biologic defense reaction against the foreign body. The analysis of the common pathway from talc and autologous blood to vasospasm may lead to the pathogenesis of cerebral vasospasm.