Effects of Perfluorocarbon Dodecafluoropentane (NVX-108) on Cerebral Microvasculature in the Healthy Rat

Title:Effects of Perfluorocarbon Dodecafluoropentane (NVX-108) on Cerebral Microvasculature in the Healthy Rat

Volume: 11 Issue: 3

Author(s): Paula F. Moon-Massat, Rania Abutarboush, Georgina Pappas, Ashraful Haque, Chioma Aligbe, Francoise Arnaud, Charles Auker, Richard McCarron and Anke Scultetus

Affiliation:

Keywords: Cerebral microcirculation, dodecafluoropentane, intravital microscopy, oxygen therapeutic, perfluorocarbon, perflutren, pial arteriolar vessel diameter, rat, traumatic brain injury, vasoconstriction.

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.

Cite this article as:

Moon-Massat F. Paula, Abutarboush Rania, Pappas Georgina, Haque Ashraful, Aligbe Chioma, Arnaud Francoise, Auker Charles, McCarron Richard and Scultetus Anke, Effects of Perfluorocarbon Dodecafluoropentane (NVX-108) on Cerebral Microvasculature in the Healthy Rat, Current Drug Discovery Technologies 2014; 11 (3) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1570163811666140709110301