Effects of a transfusion with a blood substitute (Fluosol-DA, 20%). Part II: Human cerebral blood flow

In 24 patients suffering from cerebrovascular diseases, alteration of the cerebral blood flow was investigated by means of the 133Xe clearance technique before and after the intravenous infusion of perfluorochemical suspension (Fluosol-DA, 20%, 10 ml/kg). Since perfluorochemicals exhibit high solubilities for not only oxygen but other kinds of gases, the partition coefficient of Xe (lambda tb) is considered to change depending on the amount of perfluorochemicals contained in the blood (Fct). The solubilities of Xe in the perfluorochemicals contained in the solution were then measured by gas chromatography to obtain an equation for lambda tb: lambda tb = 1.50/(Hct/100 + 12.48Fct/100 + 0.95). The cerebral blood flow was found to increase significantly by 10.1% in the lesional hemisphere and by 10.8% in the healthy one. The cortical small artery with a diameter between 0.1 and 0.2 mm appeared to dilate by 13% after its administration. From these results, the decrease of blood viscosity and some vasodilating effect of the solution might be responsible for the increase of the cerebral blood flow.