Intravertebral artery adenosine fails to alter cerebral blood flow in the dog.

The effect of intra-arterial adenosine on cerebral blood flow was studied in 11 anesthetized dogs. In a first group of 6 dogs, adenosine was infused into a vertebral artery for 40 minutes at a dose of 0.3 to 0.5 mg/kg/min. Blood flow was determined before, during and after the adenosine infusion using the radioactive microsphere technique. In a second group of 5 dogs, adenosine (3 +/- 1 mcg/kg/min) was infused in a similar manner after potentiating its effect with intravenous dipyridamole, and measurements before and after the intravenous dipyridamole and during and after the adenosine infusion were performed. Systemic arterial pressure and blood gases were unchanged throughout the experiment in both groups of dogs. Blood flow to the cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum, brain stem, paraspinous and temporalis muscles remained unchanged during the adenosine infusion in both groups of dogs. Adenosine has been implicated as an active agent in the vasodilatory component of cerebral autoregulation. A controversy exists as to whether intervascular or only interstitial adenosine is of physiologic importance. These findings suggest that intra-arterial adenosine does not play a significant role in the regulation of cerebral blood flow.