A BRAIN PERFUSION TECHNIQUE ADAPTED FOR THE STUDY OF DRUGS WHICH MAY AFFECT THE PERIPHERAL CIRCULATION THROUGH A CENTRAL ACTION

¹ Department of Pharmacology, Albany Medical College of Union University, Albany, New York

An in situ isolated, perfused brain technique has been adapted in the form of a preparation in a single cat consisting of an extracorporeally perfused brain which can competently exercise reflex and/or tonic sympathetic control over the peripheral circulation of the body and an in situ isolated, perfused hindlimb. The preparation offers advantages to the investigator interested in restricting drugs to the cerebral circulation so that their actions, if any, on central autonomic mechanisms participating in the regulation of peripheral cardiovascular dynamics may be assessed. Controlled extracorporeal perfusion of a brain at constant flow and variable pressure permits a constant concentration of a drug to be presented to the brain for arbitrary periods of time and easily allows for removal of the drug. Other advantages of this preparation are the investigators' control of the substrate, ionic and gaseous environs of the brain and the ability to study the actions of cardiovascular drugs on three separate but neurally interacting circulations.