Measurement of Cerebral Cortical Blood Flow by Laser-Doppler Flowmetry in Rat Forebrain Ischemia

Laser-Doppler flowmetry　is a new method allowing convenient and continuous measurement of blood flow. The aim of our sutdy was to evaluate the accuracy of Laser-Doppler flowmetry for measurement of blood flow in the central nervous system, compared with the established hydrogen clearance method, especially under ischemic conditions. Ten male Wistar rats were subjected to 60 min of forebrain ischemia, induced by occlusion of the bilateral common carotid arteries and unilateral vertebral artery with systemic hypotension. Under these conditions, the cerebral cortical blood flow was measured, by both methods simultaneously, three times in each animal. The cerebral blood flows measured by the hydrogen clearance method and Laser-Doppler flowmetry showed linear relationship (r=0.89, p<0.01). Laser-Doppler flowmetry facilitates accurate measurement of relative cerebral cortical blood flow under ischemic conditions.

Laser-Doppler flowmetry

Cerebral blood flow

Forebrain ischemia

rat