Effects of perfluorocarbon dodecafluoropentane (NVX-108) on cerebral microvasculature in the healthy rat.

Abstract

NVX-108, a dodecafluoropentane-based perfluorocarbon (PFC) emulsion, has therapeutic potential as an oxygen- carrying fluid for emergency medical treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and hemorrhagic shock. Potential cerebral vasoactive properties were assessed by directly measuring pial arteriolar vessel diameters before and after a 30 minute intravenous (IV) infusion of 1.0 ml/kg (high dose [H]) or 0.25 ml/kg (low dose [L]) NVX-108 compared to 2.0 ml/kg Saline (control) in healthy anesthetized rats (N = 6/group). Results showed that post-infusion vessel diameters for small (< 50 µm) and medium (50-100 µm)-sized pial arterioles were significantly (p < 0.05) narrower after only the NVX- 108 H infusion although this vasoconstriction was not statistically significant when analyzed as a percentage change in these vessels. Pial arteriolar vessel diameters were not significantly different for mean value or percentage change after either NVX-108 L or Saline infusions. There were no significant post-infusion changes from baseline in systolic, mean or diastolic blood pressures after any of the treatments although post-infusion blood pressure was statistically higher in the NVX-108 L group compared to NVX-108 H and Saline groups. Arterial blood gases, methemoglob in and lactate were not different from baseline or among groups. No adverse events were observed at either dose of NVX-108. In conclusion, neither 0.25 nor 1.0 ml/kg NVX-108 caused vasoconstriction in cerebral pial arterioles of healthy rats nor resulted in blood pressure changes; the compound should be considered for further investigation for TBI therapy.

• Authors: Paula F Moon-Massat, Rania Abutarboush, Georgina Pappas, Ashraful Haque, Chioma Aligbe, Francoise Arnaud, Charles Auker, Richard McCarron, Anke Scultetus
• Journal: Current drug discovery technologies (Curr Drug Discov Technol) Vol. 11 Issue 3 Pg. 220-6 ( 2014) ISSN: 1875-6220 [Electronic] United Arab Emirates
• PMID: 25007887 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Fluorocarbons
• perfluoropentane

Topics

• Animals
• Cerebrovascular Circulation (drug effects, physiology)
• Drug Evaluation, Preclinical (methods)
• Fluorocarbons (pharmacology)
• Male
• Microvessels (drug effects, physiology)
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley