A near infrared spectroscopy study investigating oxygen utilisation in hydrocephalic rats

Determination of hydrocephalus and its severity is important for optimal management of the condition. We have used near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to assess changes in concentrations of oxygenated (O(2)Hb), deoxygenated (HHb), total haemoglobin (tHb) and cytochrome c oxidase (Caa(3)) in normal and hydrocephalic Texas (HTx) rats in response to a 5 min head down tilt and a sodium pentobarbitone (NaPB) challenge. The former was used to test vascular responses and the latter to test metabolic responses. The haemoglobin oxygenation index (HbD) was derived which provides information regarding oxygen utilisation ([HbD]=[O(2)Hb]-[HHb]). With the tilt challenge, a significant (P=0.001) difference was observed in [HbD] between normal (n=24) and hydrocephalic (n=14) rats (-3.50 (-6.00 to 0.00) mu M cm(-1) and 7.50 (0.75 to 14.25) mu M cm(-1), respectively). In another experiment we tested the response of ten rats to NaPB administration and observed a significant difference (P=0.008) in [Caa(3)] between normal (n=5) and hydrocephalic (n=5) rats (-6.60 (-7.55 to -5.50) mu M cm(-1) -2.20 (-5.60 to -1.05) mu M cm(-1), respectively). Coronal sections of these ten rat brains were analysed and significant (P < 0.05) relationships were found between some of the NIRS parameters and cortical thickness or lateral ventricle area measurements. Our studies demonstrate that a significant difference in cerebral oxygenation and haemodynamics can be observed between normal and hydrocephalic HTx rats using NIRS.