Effect of carotid ligation on cerebral tissue oxygenation in aging rat

In order to test the ability of aged animals to compensate a cerebrovascular insufficiency, common carotid ligation was performed on young (12 months) and aged (30 months) rats. By using gold microelectrodes, the pO2 distribution in the cerebral cortex was registered for 1 h following the occlusion of the carotid arteries. It could be shown that, while the young group was able to compensate the reduction in arterial blood supply, the cortical pO2 distribution in the group of aged rats shifted towards a hypoxic profile. These results provide further evidence of the limited adaptability to functional demands with increasing age.