Laser-Doppler flowmetry in monitoring regulation of rapid microcirculatory changes in spinal cord

We established a rabbit model for continuous on-line monitoring of spinal cord microcirculation using laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF). We tested the suitability of this model for studying rapid, nonequilibrium microcirculatory blood flow (BF) states induced by pharmacological treatments, hemorrhage, and asphyxia. Effective BF regulation was observed at systemic arterial pressure levels of 50 mmHg. Autoregulatory vasodilation began 1 min after the onset of severe hypotension, whereas more immediate vasodilation took place after asphyxia (hypercarbia). Pathological situations were studied in a simple model of spinal cord (SC) ischemia-reperfusion after 10 (n = 7) and 25 min (n = 7) of ischemia and 2 h of reperfusion. After 25 min of ischemia, delayed hypoperfusion (BF -35 +/- 7%, P less than 0.01) took place in association with tissue edema. LDF offered sensitive, stable, and reproducible estimates of microcirculation with high temporal resolution, thus permitting on-line evaluation of rapid, nonequilibrium BF responses and delayed states of spinal cord BF dysregulation.