CHRONIC CEREBRAL INTRACELLULAR ALKALOSIS FOLLOWING FOREBRAIN ISCHEMIC INSULT IN RATS

We measured cerebral intracellular pH using in vivo phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy during 1 week after forebrain ischemia or sham operation in eight and seven rats, respectively. Mean maximum pH was significantly higher (p<0.003) in the ischemic group than in the sham-operated group (734±0.03 and 7.19±0.02, respectively). The difference between mean maximum pH and baseline pH (7.08±0.01 in each group) was significantly greater (p<0.02) in the ischemic group than in the sham-operated group. In the ischemic group, alkalosis occurred primarily after 48-72 hours of recirculation. We speculate that brain tissue alkalosis occurring chronically after ischemia is associated with delayed ischemic neuronal death. © 1990 American Heart Association, Inc.