J Neurol Surg A Cent Eur Neurosurg 2012; 73 - P066
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1316268

The Role of the Perfluorocarbon Oxycyte upon Tissue Preservation after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in the Rat Brain

L. Andereggen 1, S. Feiler 1, R. Andres 1, H. R. Widmer 1, A. Raabe 1, M. Reinert 1
  • 1Department of Neurosurgery, Bern, Switzerland

Introduction: Cerebral vasospasm (CVS) contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) by leading to brain tissue damage. Despite promising medical, hemodynamic, and endovascular therapies, cerebral ischemia is estimated to occur in about 30 to 50% of patients surviving an aneurysmal hemorrhage.

Oxycyte, a third-generation perfluorocarbons (PFCs), offers great promises to carry and deliver oxygen (O2) more efficiently than conventional measures and therefore increases O2 availability in lesioned brain. We measured the increase in ptiO2/CBF in a rat model of SAH and subsequent CVS and correlated these findings with immunohistological analysis of cell death.

Methods: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated to three groups: (1) SAH rats treated with Oxycyte (3 mL/kg BW); (2) with saline infusion; and (3) sham animals treated with saline. After endovascular perforation of the intracranial carotid artery or sham surgery, animals were infused intravenously with Oxycyte or saline while breathing 100% O2. PtiO2/CBF was measured continuously for 4 hours by Licox and Hemedex probe. Rats were then sacrificed and histological analyses were performed to assess hippocampal and cortical neuronal cell loss by immunohistochemistry with specific markers, for example, antiactive caspase-3, TUNEL and ss-DNA labeling.

Results: After establishing the SAH rat model with the endovascular perforation method, a pilot study followed which included a total number of nine rats that were allocated to the mentioned three groups (n = 3/group). Preliminary results reveal an increase of PtiO2/CBF after Oxycyte infusion and corresponding decrease of cell death especially in the CA3 region of hippocampus.

Conclusion: Preliminary results demonstrate that Oxycyte may improve brain oxygenation and reduce CA3 neuronal cell loss after subarachnoid hemorrhage in rats. The use of Oxycyte in patients with poor grade SAH and severe CVS may play an important role in order to reverse tissue hypoxia and reduce ischemic injury in the lesioned brain.