This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Branch, C. A. Articles by Welch, K. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Branch, C. A. Articles by Welch, K. M.

Stroke, Vol 21, 1172-1177, Copyright © 1990 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

Acute toxicity of a nuclear magnetic resonance cerebral blood flow indicator in cats

CA Branch, JR Ewing, SC Fagan, DA Goldberg and KM Welch
Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Hospital, MI 48202.

We studied trifluoromethane as a potential gaseous indicator in nuclear magnetic resonance measurements of cerebral blood flow. We considered the effects of trifluoromethane on cerebral blood flow in 17 cats and on the electroencephalogram and electrocardiogram in nine cats and compared these with the effects of the more toxic compound chlorodifluoromethane in five cats. Inhaled at 60%, trifluoromethane had no effect on cerebral blood flow, the cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen, or oxyhemoglobin content. At 70%, trifluoromethane sensitized the cats' hearts to epinephrine, but to a much lesser degree than 40% chlorodifluoromethane, and produced only moderate changes in cerebral electrical activity as measured by the electroencephalogram. We found trifluoromethane to be suitable for use in animals, but its toxicity needs to be studied further before it can be used in humans for the measurement of cerebral blood flow.