Hemoglobin penetration in the wall of the rabbit basilar artery after subarachnoid hemorrhage and intracisternal hemoglobin injection.

The ability of hemoglobin (Hb) to penetrate the basilar arterial wall in vivo after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage was examined using immunohistochemistry. The distribution of anti-Hb antibodies in rabbit basilar artery was studied following the injection of autologous blood in the cisterna magna. Vessels removed two or four days after subarachnoid hemorrhage exhibited varying degrees of vasospasm, and exhibited Hb immuno-fluorescence throughout the vessel wall. Hemoglobin immunofluorescence was most conspicuous in the adventitia but was also seen in the smooth muscle and endothelial cell layers in 7 of 10 animals. The degree of vasoconstriction correlated with the total amount of Hb-fluorescence present in the vessel wall. When Hb solution alone was injected into the subarachnoid space, vasoconstriction was evident but penetration into the vascular layers was not as extensive as that observed after injection of autologous blood. These findings demonstrate that Hb is able to penetrate through the arterial wall after subarachnoid hemorrhage. The results provide direct support for the hypothesis that Hb-induced changes in smooth muscle and/or endothelial function can contribute to the pathogenesis of vasospasm.