Increase in the oxygen available to the cerebral cortex after the administration of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors]

Oxygen tension (pO2) in cerebral cortex was measured by polarographic method in unanesthetized rabbits. Intravenous administration (25 mg/kg) of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (acetazolamide, methazolamide, dichlorphenamide, sulthiame) induced an early important rise of cortical p O2, which is not dependent on increase of p O2 and p CO2 and decrease of pH in arterial blood. High dosage of acetazolamide (250 mg/kg) produced the same effect and did not suppress the increase of cortical p O2 under air-CO2 inhalation. This result suggests that CO2 might act specifically upon cerebral vessels.