Intracranial Pressure in the Cat during Nitroglycerin-induced Hypotension

Abstract

Intracranial pressure measurements were made during nitroglycerin-induced hypotension in the cat anesthetized with halothane. Individual observations (48) were made on 8 animals. The administration of sufficient nitroglycerin to decrease mean arterial pressure from a control value of 87 .+-. 7 torr by 12 .+-. 4 torr caused an increase in mean intracranial pressure from a control value of 7 .+-. 2 to 12 .+-. 2 torr. Larger decreases in mean blood pressure were associated with larger increases in intracranial pressure. The increase in intracranial pressure was similar to that reported for nitroprusside, and greater and more reproducible than that reported for trimethaphan. Nitroglycerin may produce significant increases in intracranial pressure, and this may be a limiting factor in its clinical use.