Early effects of cervical sympathetic stimulation on cerebral, ocular and cochlear blood flow

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Abstract
Autoregulatory mechanisms may be expected to modify effects of vasomotor nerve stimulation in [rabbit] tissues. A distinct early, but transient effect of cervical sympathetic stimulation on cerebral, retinal and cochlear blood flow was studied. The labeled microsphere method was used to determine regional blood flow during electrical stimulation of the cervical sympathetic chain for 15-25 s and 5 min. At a frequency of 6 Hz there was a 5% reduction in cerebral flow at 15-25 s and 7% at 5 min. In the choroid plexus the mean reduction was 22% at 15-25 s but decreased to 10% after 5 min. In the cerebellum, optic nerve and retina, sympathetic stimulation had no appreciable effect on the blood flow. In the cochlea and iris the blood flow reductions were 25 and 32%, respectively, on both occasions. In the choroid vasoconstriction increased with time, in the masseter muscle there was a decrease. An autoregulatory escape phenomenon was not indicated in the brain, the eye or the cochlea. Some escape was noted in the masseter muscle.