A traumatic brain tissue necrosis is expanding to approximately 150% within 24 h after lesion. This process is accompanied by marked reduction of the perifocal cerebral blood flow likely to activate anaerobic glycolysis from a reduced O2-supply leading to an accumulation of lactic acid. The current study was carried out to assess the interstitial levels of lactic acid as a potential factor of secondary brain damage. A microdialysis probe was stereotactically implanted approximately 2 mm below the brain surface of the parietal cortex in Sprague Dawley rats (250-300 g bw; n = 6) in chloralhydrate anaesthesia. The position of the probe was controlled by histology. 24 h later a standardised cortical cold injury was induced above the probe in halothane/N2O anaesthesia. Dialysate (2 microliters/min) was collected in 15 min intervals, starting 1 h prior to and continuing until 4 hrs after trauma. The lactate concentration in the dialysate was fluorometrically determined by an enzymatic assay. Under baseline conditions dialysate concentrations of 324 +/- 48 microM were observed. A release of lactate was not found initially after trauma. Between 70 and 105 min later, however, the interstitial lactate levels briefly increased to 416 +/- 34 microM (n.s.), while reaching baseline levels again thereafter. Thus, the current results do not confirm an increased accumulation of lactate in the interstitial compartment of the penumbra despite a marked perifocal hypoperfusion of the brain after focal injury. The transitory increase in lactate at 90 min after trauma is unlikely to have caused a severe tissue acidosis which might be held liable for the secondary growth of the brain lesion induced by the focal injury.