Contractile Activity of Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) from Patients with Subarachnoid Haemorrhage upon the Isolated Human Basilar Artery

Effects of (+) and (‐)‐propranolol on the responses of the human isolated basilar artery to cerebrospinal fluid obtained from patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage and cerebral arterial spasm.

“…On the other hand, the relaxations produced by both isomers persisted for the duration of contact with the artery, although after washing, further reproducible contractile responses to CSF could be obtained. Earlier experiments showed that 5-HT, noradrenaline and six prostaglandins contract the isolated basilar artery (Boullin et al, 1975a;Boullin et al, 1975b;Starling et al, 1975) although the time course of the contractions is different from those produced by CSF (Boullin et al, 1976). These observations were repeated and we found that propranolol reversed contractions induced by all of these agents, and moreover relaxed arteries which displayed spontaneous contractile activity.…”

Evidence for the presence of a vasoactive substance (possibly involved in the aetiology of cerebral arterial spasm) in cerebrospinal fluid from patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage.

“…We have evidence for the presence of a vasoactive substance, or substances, as yet unidentified, in the CSF of these patients with a predominance of this factor in those patients showing angiographic evidence of preoperative spasm of the cerebral arteries. Some preliminary data have recently been presented to the Medical Research Society (Boullin et al, 1975a) and at the 5th Congress of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (Boullin et al, 1975b). METHODS SUBJECTS Thirty-four patients presented with subarachnoid haemorrhage from ruptured aneurysms.…”