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Updated: Jul 30, 2026
A Recovery Cardiopulmonary Bypass Model Without Transfusion or Inotropic Agents in Rats
Published on: March 23, 2018
Diaspirin cross-linked hemoglobin does not increase brain oxygen consumption during hypothermic cardiopulmonary
B J Hindman1, F Dexter, J Cutkomp
1Department of Anesthesia, University of Iowa, College of Medicine, Iowa City, USA.
Background:
Decreased erythrocyte deformability due to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and/or hypothermia, may result in brain capillary beds that have decreased erythrocyte transit, resulting in a generalized impairment of brain oxygenation during CPB. Because brain capillary plasma flow continues even when erythrocyte flow is absent, the authors' hypothesized augmentation of plasma oxygen content with a non-erythrocyte-associated oxygen transport molecule would increase brain oxygen uptake during hypothermic CPB.
Methods:
Anesthetized New Zealand white rabbits, maintained on CPB at 27 degrees C, were randomized to one of three groups. In group 1 (n = 13), plasma oxygen content was increased by administration of alpha-alpha diaspirin cross-linked hemoglobin. In this group, pretreatment with 0.5 mg/kg verapamil was necessary to prevent hypertension. In group 2 (n = 13), alpha-alpha diaspirin cross-linked hemoglobin was not administered, but verapamil was given as before (control). In group 3 (n = 13), neither alpha-alpha diaspirin cross-linked hemoglobin nor verapamil was administered (control). At 60 min of CPB, cerebral blood flow (microspheres) and cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (Fick) were determined.
Results:
Systemic physiologic variables did not differ among groups. Although total arterial oxygen content was equivalent in all groups (approximately 12.1 ml O2/dl), the alpha-alpha diaspirin cross-linked hemoglobin group had a much greater proportion of the total arterial oxygen content present in a non-erythrocyte-associated form, 29 +/- 5% versus 6 +/- 2% and 5 +/- 3%, in groups 2 and 3, respectively. Nevertheless, neither cerebral blood flow (approximately 34 ml.100g-1.min-1) nor cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (approximately 1.2 ml O2.100g-1.min-1) differed among groups.
Conclusions:
Because oxygen was equally available to the brain in all groups, independent of whether oxygen was associated with erythrocytes or not, it was concluded that erythrocyte/capillary interactions do not limit oxygen transfer from blood to brain during moderately hypothermic CPB. The hypertensive response to alpha-alpha diaspirin cross-linked hemoglobin during CPB is probably a result of nitric oxide scavenging.
