Regional blood flow in compression-induced brain edema in rats: effect of dietary vitamin E

Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was studied autoradiographically in a murine model of focal epidural brain compression, and the effect of vitamin E administration was investigated. Mean cortical CBF was reduced to 0.48 to 0.50 ml/gm/min following 2 or 24 hours of compression. Early (2 hours) following subsequent decompression, a mixed pattern of hypoperfusion and hyperperfusion was observed. Twenty-four hours later, rCBF heterogeneities were less marked. Comparisons among animal groups raised on vitamin E-supplemented, vitamin E-normal, and vitamin E-deficient diets 2 hours after decompression revealed marked reductions in rCBF in the previously compressed cortex of the last two groups and hyperemia of the underlying hippocampus. The vitamin E-supplemented rats showed increased flow in the previously compressed cortex. In addition, vitamin E supplementation tended to eliminate rCBF gradients between subjacent zones. These data may help explain our previous observations of the beneficial effects of vitamin E on compression-induced brain edema.