Acute anemia elicits cognitive dysfunction and evidence of cerebral cellular hypoxia in older rats with systemic hypertension.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction occurs frequently after cardiac, major vascular, and major orthopedic surgery. Aging and hypertensive cerebrovascular disease are leading risk factors for this disorder. Acute anemia, common to major surgery, has been identified as a possible contributor to postoperative cognitive dysfunction. The effect of hypoxia upon cognition and the cellular and molecular processes involved in learning and memory has been well described. Cerebrovascular changes related to chronic hypertension may expose cells to increased hypoxia with anemia.

Methods

Young to aged spontaneously hypertensive rats underwent testing for visuospatial memory and learning in the Morris water maze, measurement of cerebral tissue oxygenation via tissue oxygen probe

SUBMITTER: Li M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3233697 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature