Effect of propranolol on local cerebral blood flow under normocapnic and hypercapnic conditions

The effect of propranolol (2.5 mg kg-1, i.v.) on local cerebral blood flow (CBF) in normocapnia was studied in rats maintained artificially ventilated on 70% N2O and 30% O2. The method used was autoradiography with [14C]iodoantipyrine. Although a single dose of propranolol, given 30 min prior to CBF measurements, somewhat reduced mean CBF values in all of the 22 structures analysed, none of the changes were significant. The results confirm previous ones, in which overall CBF was measured, in showing that beta-adrenergic mechanisms have little effect on normal cerebrovascular tone. Following a single dose of propranolol, results obtained in hypercapnia were equally negative; neither did CBF fall significantly when propranolol was given by constant infusion during 15 min. Furthermore, local CBF did not differ between animals infused with dl-propranolol and d-propranolol. It is concluded that in the rat, propranolol has but small effects on the CBF response to hypercapnia, if any. The results reveal that local CO2 responsiveness, calculated as delta CBF/delta PCO2, varies with normocapnic flow rates.