Compartmentation of whole brain blood flow and oxygen and glucose metabolism in monkeys

The cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) has been functionally compartmentalized using the barbiturate thiopental into active CMRO2, associated with electroencephalographic (EEG) activity, and the balance, basal CMRO2, associated with the maintenance of neuronal viability. Previous measurements of these CMRO2 compartments were made in anesthetized animals. Our aim was to determine whether the same proportions for these compartments applied in unanesthetized monkeys. The active: basal distribution of the cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (CMRG) and cerebral flood flow (CBF) were also determined. Three measurements of whole-brain CBF (H2 clearance), CMRO2, and CMRG were made in six unanesthetized rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Thereafter, thiopental anesthesia was induced and maintained until an isoelectric EEG was obtained. Three additional measurements of CBF, CMRO2, and CMRG were made. Arterial blood pressure, end-tidal CO2, and arterial blood gas were measured with each set of measurements. Thiopental-induced isoelectric EEG resulted in a 47% reduction in CMRO2 from 5.95 +/- 0.54 to 3.10 +/- 0.51 ml/100 g/min (mean +/- SD); a 36% reduction in CBF from 76 +/- 21 to 48 +/- 14 ml/100 g/min; and a 61% reduction in CMRG from 8.09 +/- 2.78 to 3.13 +/- 0.77 mg/100 g/min. The oxygen-glucose index was 0.99 +/- 0.10 for the whole brain, 0.87 +/- 0.15 for the active, and 1.27 +/- 0.25 for the basal compartments. These results indicated an active:basal distribution of approximately 50:50 for CMRO2, 40:60 for CBF, and 60:40 for CMRG. The active:basal CMRO2 distribution corroborates earlier data and shows that relative to CMRO2, the active compartment is underperfused with a lower oxygen-glucose index compared with the basal compartment.