Methyl isobutyl amiloride alters regional brain reperfusion after resuscitation from cardiac arrest in rats.

In a rat model of cardiac arrest and resuscitation, [(14)C]-iodoantipyrene (IAP) autoradiography was used to measure the regional variations in cerebral blood flow 15 and 60 min after reperfusion. The purpose of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that the inhibition of the Na+/H+ antiporter with methyl isobutyl amiloride (MIA) would decrease postischemic pericapillary cytotoxic edema and, therefore, improve vascular perfusion dynamics. Vehicle-treated rats responded to cardiac arrest and resuscitation as expected with initial hyperemia after 15 min of reperfusion, except for thalamic and midbrain structures which were hypoperfused.