Transcranial Evaluation of Blood Flow Velocity in the Basilar Artery in Rats by High Frequency Ultrasonic Doppler Technique

The possibility of recording the blood flow velocity in the basilar artery (a. basilaris) in rats through the occipital membrane by a two-channel ultrasonic Doppler system with singleelement transducers was demonstrated. A. basilaris was located with a contact transducer working at a frequency of 33 MHz in two modes: pulsed and permanent. The mean blood flow velocity in narcotized male Wistar rats was 4.93±0.78 cm/sec. Functional loading tests (acute elevation of blood pressure and occlusion of the common carotid arteries) showed that this method allows recording dynamic characteristics of the blood flow reactions in a. basilaris with evaluation of its pulse wave pattern and analyzing their correlations with blood flow parameters in the carotid arteries using simultaneously the second (bandage) transducer.