Perfluorocarbon emulsion improves oxygenation of the cat primary visual cortex

Tissue[Formula: see text] was measured in the primary visual cortex of anesthetized, artificially ventilated, normovolemic cats to evaluate the effect of small doses [1 g perfluorocarbon (PFC)/kg] of a PFC emulsion (1 g PFC/1.1 ml emulsion; Alliance Pharmaceutical, San Diego, CA) on brain oxygenation. The change in tissue [Formula: see text]([Formula: see text]), resulting from briefly changing the respiratory gas from room air to 100% oxygen, was measured before and after intravenous infusion of the emulsion. Before emulsion, [Formula: see text] was 51.1 ± 45.6 Torr ( n = 8 cats). Increases in [Formula: see text] of 34.0 ± 26.1 (SD) % ( n = 8) and 16.3 ± 8.4% ( n = 6) were observed after the first and second emulsion infusions, respectively. The further increase in [Formula: see text] after the third dose (7.9 ± 10.5%; n = 7) was not statistically significant. The observed increases in tissue oxygenation as a result of the PFC infusions appear to be the result of enhanced oxygen transport to the tissue.