Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism
-
J. Cereb. Blood Flow Metab. · Mar 2004
Interstitial pO2 in ischemic penumbra and core are differentially affected following transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats.
Stroke causes heterogeneous changes in tissue oxygenation, with a region of decreased blood flow, the penumbra, surrounding a severely damaged ischemic core. Treatment of acute ischemic stroke aims to save this penumbra before its irreversible damage by continued ischemia. However, effective treatment remains elusive due to incomplete understanding of processes leading to penumbral death. ⋯ These divergent, important changes in pO2 in penumbra and core were explained by combined differences in cellular oxygen consumption rates and microcirculation conditions. We therefore demonstrate that interstitial pO2 in penumbra and core is differentially affected during ischemia and reperfusion, providing new insights to the pathophysiology of stroke. The results support normobaric hyperoxia as a potential early intervention to save penumbral tissue in acute ischemic stroke.