Cerebral Acid Buffering Capacity at Different Ages Measured In Vivo by 31P and 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Abstract

Cerebral acidosis occurring during ischemia has been proposed as one determinant of tissue damage. Newborn animals appear to be less susceptible to ischemic tissue damage than adults. One possible component of ischemic tolerance could derive from maturational differences in the extent of acid production and buffering in newborns compared to adults. The purpose of this study was to measure the dependency of acid production on the blood plasma glucose concentrations and acid buffering capacity of piglets at different stages of development. Complete ischemia was induced in 29 piglets ranging in postconceptual age from 111 to 156 days (normal term conception, 115 days). Brain buffering capacity during the first 30 min of ischemia was quantified in vivo, via 31P and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, by measuring the change in intracellular brain pH for a given change in the concentration of compounds that contribute to the production of hydrogen ions. Animals from all four age groups showed a similar linear correlation between preischemia blood glucose concentration and intracellular pH after 30 min of ischemia. For each animal the slope of the plot of intracellular pH versus cerebral buffer base deficit was used to calculate the buffer capacity. Using data obtained over the entire 30 min of ischemia, there was no difference in the mean buffer capacity of the different age groups, nor was there a significant correlation between buffer capacity and age. However, there was a significant increase in buffer capacity for the intracellular pH range 6.6-6.0, compared to 7.0-6.6, for all age groups. No significant differences in buffer capacity for these two pH ranges were observed between any of the age groups. Acid buffering capacity was also measured by performing pH titrations on brain tissue homogenized in the presence of inhibitors of glycolysis and creatine kinase. Plots of homogenate pH versus buffer base deficit showed a nonlinear trend similar to that seen in vivo, indicating an increase in buffer capacity as intracellular pH decreases. A comparison of newborn and 1-month-old brain tissue frozen under control conditions or after 45 min of ischemia revealed no differences that could be attributed to age and a slight decrease in buffer capacity of ischemic brain compared to control brain tissue homogenates. There was no difference between the brain buffering capacity measured in vivo using 31P and 1H NMR and that measured in vitro using brain homogenates.