Purpose: Little is known regarding the status and implications of altered retinal blood flow (RBF) following a period of temporary retinal ischemia. We undertook studies to measure acute changes in RBF after ischemia, and the mechanisms responsible for mediating these changes.
Methods: Retinal ischemia was induced in anesthetized, mechanically ventilated newborn pigs by severe hypoxia, hypotension, and bradycardia secondary to 9 min of asphyxia by discontinued ventilation. Using fluorescein videoangiography, we calculated stimulus-induced changes in RBF by measuring changes in arteriovenous transit times and arteriolar and venular diameters from the angiogram videorecordings.
Results: Asphyxia led to a progressive reduction in RBF during early reperfusion, with RBF decreasing 24 +/- 6% and 34 +/- 5% below baseline 1 h and 2 h, respectively, after asphyxia (n = 6). Intravitreal administration of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (25 nmol) at 15 min of postischemic reperfusion did not increase the magnitude of hypoperfusion (n = 6), and intravitreal acetylcholine (20 nmol) was no longer able to increase RBF at 1.5-2.0 h of postasphyxic reperfusion. The endothelin A receptor antagonist TBC 11251z attenuated the response by 53% at 2 h (n = 5). The adenosine transport inhibitor 4-nitrobenzyl-6-thioinosine reversed the hypoperfusion response (n = 5), whereas ventilating animals with 100% oxygen during reperfusion exacerbated the flow deficit, with RBF reduced to 49 +/- 5% below baseline at 2 h post-asphyxia (n = 6).
Conclusions: These findings indicate that (1) constriction by endothelin, together with a loss of nitric oxide's tonic dilatative effect, contributes importantly to mediating postischemic hypoperfusion in retina; (2) improvements in retinal perfusion can be realized with endothelin receptor blockade or potentiation of extracellular adenosine; and (3) additional reductions in postischemic RBF can occur in response to resuscitation with 100% oxygen because retinal microcirculatory reactivity to hyperoxia remains intact during the hypoperfusion period.