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Effect of nicardipine on basilar artery vasoactive responses after subarachnoid hemorrhage
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Effect of nicardipine on basilar artery vasoactive responses after subarachnoid hemorrhage

Alberto Pasqualin, Tetsuya Tsukahara, Neal F Kassell and James C Torner
Neurosurgery, Vol.31(4), pp.697-704
10/1992
DOI: 10.1097/00006123-199210000-00012
PMID: 1407455

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Abstract

The effect of the dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, nicardipine, on the vasoactive responses of the basilar artery was investigated after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Forty-five rabbits were separated into one control group and four groups receiving SAH (nine animals each). The SAH was induced by injecting 5 ml of autologous arterial blood into the cisterna magna. SAH animals were subjected to one of the following: 1) no treatment; 2) intravenous (i.v.) saline infusion (vehicle); 3) i.v. infusion of low-dose nicardipine (0.01 mg/kg/hr), or 4) i.v. infusion of high-dose nicardipine (0.15 mg/kg/hr). The i.v. infusions were started immediately after SAH and continued for 48 hours. Serotonin (5-HT) (10(-8) to 10(-5) mol/L) was used to evoke dose-dependent vasoconstriction of isolated rings of the basilar artery 2 days after SAH. Acetylcholine (ACh) (10(-8) to 10(-4)) and adenosine-triphosphate (ATP) (10(-8) to 10(-4) mol/L) were applied after maximal contraction with 5-HT, evoke a dose-dependent vasodilatation. Compared with controls, in animals subjected to SAH serotonin caused similar or slightly larger contractions; nicardipine infusion did not decrease the amount of contraction observed after SAH. ACh and ATP caused significantly less dilatation in animals submitted to SAH than in controls. After high-dose nicardipine, ACh- and ATP-induced dilatations were significantly more pronounced (57% and 68% of initial contractile tone) than in the other animals receiving SAH (36%-39% and 45%-55%, respectively).
Rabbits Basilar Artery - drug effects Acetylcholine - pharmacology Endothelium, Vascular - drug effects Male Serotonin - pharmacology Vasoconstriction - drug effects Endothelium, Vascular - physiology Adenosine Triphosphate - pharmacology Dose-Response Relationship, Drug Vasoconstriction - physiology Subarachnoid Hemorrhage - physiopathology Animals Basilar Artery - physiopathology Potassium Chloride - pharmacology Blood Pressure - drug effects Blood Pressure - physiology Nicardipine - pharmacology Vasodilation - drug effects Vasodilation - physiology Ischemic Attack, Transient - physiopathology

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