Pentobarbital changes compartmental contribution to cerebral blood flow.

Barbiturates were administered to normal dogs, establishing an isoelectric electrocorticogram. Cortical cerebral blood flows (CBF) and deeper CBF's were respectively measured by krypton-85 (85Kr) and xenon-133 (133 Xe). Following barbiturate administration, the two methods of measuring CBF showed a poor coefficient of variation (r=0.12, p less than 0.05). The cortical flows decreased less than the fast compartment flows. A shifting of percentage contribution of flow to the slow compartment (60% increase, p less than 0.001) was observed after barbiturate infusion. A selective shunting of blood flow to the slower areas may explain the lowering of intracranial pressure and protection of the deep white matter observed by many authors who use barbiturates in clinical an experimental situations.