The effects of beta adrenergic blockade on spinal cord autoregulation in the monkey

Blood flow in the spinal cord was measured in a group of monkeys over a wide range of artificially varied blood pressures after the administration of propranolol, a beta adrenergic blocker. Spinal cord blood flow was found to be constant and in the normal range between a mean system arterial blood pressure of 50 to 150 mm Hg. From 150 to 180 mm Hg spinal cord blood flow decreased. There was no breakthrough of autoregulation, previously seen in the untreated animal. It is suggested, therefore, that the previously observed breakthrough of autoregulation is a beta adrenergic-mediated phenomenon.