TOPOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF REPERFUSION INTO MCA TERRITORY FOLLOWING ENDOTHELIN-1-INDUCED TRANSIENT FOCAL CEREBRAL-ISCHEMIA

This study examines the topographic profile of reperfusion into ischae mic tissue following reversible middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion . Autoradiographic images of both ischaemia and reperfusion were prepa red from brain sections following transient ischaemia induced by endot helin-l application to the exposed MCA in anaesthetised rats. Blood fl ow changes were assessed using double tracer autoradiography with Tc-9 9m-exametazime during ischaemia (5 min) and C-14-iodoantipyrine during reperfusion (2 h). Following a significant ischaemic insult, reperfus ion was relatively homogeneous within MCA territory but incomplete at 2 h. There was evidence for differential reperfusion in the cortex and caudate nucleus, and increased collateral supply from the anterior ce rebral artery.