[Involvement of extracellular superoxide dismutase in cerebral blood flow regulation]

Physiological role of extracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD3) remains obscure. We tested the hypothesis that SOD3 regulates the equilibrium between superoxide (O2-) and nitric oxide (NO), thereby controlling vascular tone and cerebrovascular reactivity. In anesthetized rats local blood flow was measured in the striatum after intracerebral delivery of SOD-mimetic, SOD-inhibitor, NO-donor and NOS-inhibitor by microdialysis. We have found that SOD3 minimizes O2- levels preserving NO availability at resting conditions. SOD3 promotes NO mediated vasodilatation by scavenging O2- and basal SOD3 levels is able to inactivate O2- produced by 100% oxygen breathing preserving vasodilator effect of NO.