Neurogenic Control of Cerebral Blood Flow in the Baboon. Effects of Alpha Adrenergic Blockade With Phenoxybenzamine on Cerebral Autoregulation and Vasomotor Reactivity to Changes in Pa CO 2

Cerebral autoregulation was studied in the baboon by increasing and decreasing cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) before and after intravenous administration (1.5 mg per kilogram) of a long-acting alpha adrenergic blocker, phenoxybenzamine (PBZ). Likewise, cerebral vasomotor reactivity to changes of arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2) was examined before and after PBZ. In order to permit quantitative analysis, cerebral autoregulation (A.I.) and chemical vasomotor reactivity (C.I.) were expressed as indices where A.I.=δCBF/δCPP and C.I.=δCBF/δPaCO2. Following the intravenous injection of PBZ, cerebral autoregulatory vasoconstriction was impaired as CPP was increased. Cerebral vasomotor reactivity to changes in PaCO2 was altered both during hyperventilation hypocapnia (HV) and hypercarbia induced by inhalation of 5% carbon dioxide if alterations of CPP brought about by these procedures were taken into consideration. During hypocapnia C.I. was reduced 30% and during hypercarbia C.I. was increased 10%. It is concluded that PBZ reduces the vasoconstrictor tonus of cerebral vessels during hypocapnia and raised CPP. It also enhances the vasodilator response to CO2 inhalation.