To Örebro University

BACKGROUND: Cerebral injury may alter the autoregulation of cerebral blood flow. One index for describing cerebrovascular state is the pressure reactivity (PR). Little is known of whether PR is associated with measures of brain metabolism and indicators of ischemia and cell damage. The aim of this investigation was to explore whether increased interstitial levels of glycerol, a marker of cell membrane damage, are associated with PR, and if prostacyclin, a membrane stabilizer and regulator of the microcirculation, may affect this association in a beneficial way.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: ) during the 96-h sampling period were calculated. The mean PR was calculated as the ICP/mean arterial pressure (MAP) regression coefficient based on hourly mean ICP and MAP during the first 96 h.

RESULTS: (ρ = 0.490, p = 0.015) levels in the placebo group only.

CONCLUSIONS: PR is correlated to the glycerol level in patients suffering from sTBI, a relationship that is not seen in the group treated with prostacyclin. Glycerol has been associated with membrane degradation and may support glycerol as a biomarker for vascular endothelial breakdown. Such a breakdown may impair the regulation of cerebrovascular PR.