Effects of anaesthesia induction drugs on circulation in denervated intestinal loop preparation.

The effect of anaesthesia induction drugs on the intestinal circulation was evaluated in an isolated loop preparation in 28 dogs. Selected intestinal loops were perfused with aortic blood by a pump at a constant pressure of 100 mmHg. A mixture of 86Rb and 9 microns spheres labeled with 141Ce was injected into the arterial cannula supplying the intestinal segment while mesenteric venous blood was collected for activity counting. Diazepam in a dose of 3 mg X kg-1 was accompanied by a significantly lower clearance (Cl-Rb), and permeability-surface area product (PS) than pentobarbitone; there were no differences between diazepam and pentobarbitone in total blood flow (BF), vascular resistance (VR) and oxygen consumption in the intestinal segments. Circulatory variable observed after midazolam, 8 mg X kg-1 and an additional 16 mg X kg-1, did not significantly differ from those seen during pentobarbitone. Ketamine in a dose of 8 mg X kg-1 was accompanied by a significantly lower BF, Cl-Rb, microsphere entrapment (Cl-Sph), PS, and higher VR and arterio-venous oxygen content difference. Sixteen mg X kg-1 of ketamine did not lead to any additional changes in determined variables of the intestinal circulation. Alpha-adrenoceptor blockade completely abolished vasoconstriction caused by ketamine, suggesting that the long-lasting vasoconstricting effect of ketamine on the intestinal circulation is mediated through catecholamines.

Influence of fentanyl and morphine on intestinal circulation.

The influence of fentanyl and morphine on the intestinal circulation was evaluated in an isolated loop preparation in 37 dogs anesthetized with pentobarbital intravenously. Selected intestinal segments were pumped with aortic blood at a constant pressure of 100 mm Hg. A mixture of 86Rb and 9-micron spheres labeled with 141Ce was injected into the arterial cannula supplying the intestinal loop, while mesenteric venous blood was collected for activity counting. A strong correlation was found between the clearances of rubidium and microspheres (r = 0.97, P less than 0.0001), suggesting that the shunting of 9-micron spheres through the intestines reflects the shunting of blood through nonnutritive vessels. Intravenous fentanyl decreased oxygen uptake (O2up), and vascular resistance (VR), and increased blood flow (BF), rubidium and microsphere clearances (Cl-Rb, Cl-Sph, respectively), and permeability--surface area product (PS) in a dose-related fashion. Intravenous morphine in a dose of 1 mg X kg-1 increased Cl-Rb (nutritive BF) without changes in total (nutritive and nonnutritive) BF. This increase in nutritive BF is probably related to morphine-induced histamine release. Morphine in a dose of 5 mg X kg-1 was accompanied by vasoconstriction that was completely abolished by alpha-adrenoceptor blockade. The data suggest that morphine-induced intestinal vasoconstriction is mediated via a release of epinephrine, apparently from the adrenal medulla. It is concluded that changes in the intestinal circulation during anesthesia with narcotics might play a certain role in the cardiovascular homeostasis during anesthesia and surgery. An increase in oxygen content in portal venous blood, resulting from a decrease in intestinal oxygen uptake, should facilitate hepatic oxygenation.

Cardiac output distribution and regional blood flow during hypocarbia in monkeys.

Cardiac output distribution and regional blood flow were studied during hypocarbia independent of changes in ventilatory parameters. Fifteen cynomolgus monkeys were anesthetized with methohexital sodium (8 mg/kg im) and hyperventilated through an endotracheal tube. Hypocarbia at two levels, 28 +/- 1.8 and 17 +/- 0.6 Torr, was achieved by a stepwise decreasing CO2 flow into the semiclosed system. Regional blood flow was determined with labeled microspheres. At each stage of experiments two sets of microspheres (9 and 15 microns diam) were used simultaneously. The use of two microsphere sizes allowed evaluation of the relationship between total (nutritive and nonnutritive) tissue blood flow, determined with 15-microns spheres, and nutritive blood flow, determined with 9-microns spheres. There was no change in cardiac output or arterial pressure during both degrees of studied hypocarbia. Hypocarbia was accompanied by a decrease in myocardial blood flow determined with 15-microns spheres and preservation of the flow determined with 9-microns spheres. Splenic blood flow was decreased, whereas hepatic arterial blood flow was increased during both levels of hypocarbia. Blood flow through the brain, renal cortex, and gut showed a biphasic response to hypocarbia: during hypocarbia at 28 +/- 1.8 Torr, blood flow determined with 15-microns spheres was unchanged (in the gut) or decreased (in the brain and kidneys), whereas blood flow determined with 9-microns spheres was decreased. During hypocarbia at 17 +/- 0.6 Torr, blood flow determined with 9-microns spheres had a tendency to restore to base-line values.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Intestinal circulation during inhalation anesthesia.

This study was designed to evaluate the influence of inhalational agents on the intestinal circulation in an isolated loop preparation. Sixty dogs were studied, using three intestinal segments from each dog. Selected intestinal segments were pumped with aortic blood at a constant pressure of 100 mmHg. A mixture of 86Rb and 9-microns spheres labeled with 141Ce was injected into the arterial cannula supplying the intestinal loop, while mesenteric venous blood was collected for activity counting. A very strong and significant correlation was found between rubidium clearance and microsphere entrapment (r = 0.97, P less than 0.0001), suggesting that the shunting of 9-microns spheres through the intestines reflects the arteriovenous shunting of blood. Nitrous oxide anesthesia was accompanied by a higher vascular resistance (VR), lower flow (F), rubidium clearance (Cl-Rb), and microspheres entrapment (Cl-Sph) than pentobarbital anesthesia, indicating that the vascular bed in the intestinal segment was constricted and flow (total and nutritive) decreased. Halothane, enflurane, and isoflurane anesthesia were accompanied by a much lower arteriovenous oxygen content difference (AVDO2) and oxygen uptake than pentobarbital or nitrous oxide. Compared with pentobarbital, enflurane anesthesia was not accompanied by marked differences in VR, F, Cl-Rb, and Cl-Sph; halothane at 2 MAC decreased VR and increased F and Cl-Rb while isoflurane increased VR and decreased F. alpha-Adrenoceptor blockade with phentolamine (1 mg . kg-1) abolished isoflurane-induced vasoconstriction, suggesting that the increase in VR was mediated via circulating catecholamines.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Liver circulation and function during isoflurane and halothane anesthesia.

Hepatic arterial blood flow (HABF) and portal blood flow (PBF) were measured in 18 dogs while awake and during isoflurane and halothane anesthesia. Surgical preparation 1 week before the measurements consisted of a left thoracotomy, placement of a left atrial catheter, and insertion of another catheter into the distal aorta via the left femoral artery. Cardiac output and liver blood flow were determined using microspheres at three stages: stage 1-awake state; stage 2-after 45 min of 1 MAC of isoflurane (eight dogs) or halothane (10 dogs) anesthesia; and stage 3-after 45 min of 2 MAC of inhalation anesthesia. Half-life and fractional clearance for indocyanine green (ICG) were determined 1 day before the experiment (awake state), and at the end of stages 2 and 3. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and cardiac index (CI), as well as PBF, decreased during isoflurane and halothane anesthesia. HABF increased significantly during isoflurane anesthesia, remained unchanged during 1 MAC of halothane anesthesia, and significantly decreased during 2 MAC of halothane anesthesia. Apparently, hepatic oxygen supply was maintained much better during isoflurane than during halothane anesthesia. PBF correlated with CI during halothane (r = 0.97) and, to a certain extent, with MAP during isoflurane (r = 0.66). HABF correlated with CI and MAP during halothane (r = 0.74 and 0.71, respectively) but did not correlate with systemic hemodynamic variables during isoflurane. ICG half-life significantly increased during 1 and 2 MAC of halothane anesthesia. The degree of increase did not correlate with the level of anesthesia or the decrease in total hepatic blood flow.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The effect of halothane, isoflurane, and blood loss on hepatotoxicity and hepatic oxygen availability in phenobarbital-pretreated hypoxic rats.

This study evaluated the role of ventilatory and circulatory depression in anesthesia-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (181 animals) were pretreated with phenobarbital and exposed to hypoxia (FIO2 = 0.14) for 2 hr. The animals were divided into four groups: group 1 received 1% inspired halothane in the hypoxic gas mixture; group 2 received 1.4% inspired isoflurane and hypoxia; group 3 had 25-30% of their blood volume removed 2 hr before exposure to hypoxia; and group 4 served as a control with no treatment other than hypoxia. Hepatic blood flow was studied using microspheres; oxygen availability to the liver was calculated using values of hepatic blood flow and oxygen content of arterial and portal venous blood; and liver injury was quantitatively evaluated. Ventilation was depressed in rats that received halothane and, to a lesser extent, isoflurane. The lowest portal blood flow was observed in groups 1 and 3. Hepatic arterial blood flow was lowest in group 1 and highest in group 3. There was an inverse relationship between hepatic oxygen availability and severity of histologic lesions. The most severe lesions and lowest oxygen availability was associated with halothane. Hemorrhage and isoflurane were associated with less diminution of oxygen availability and less severe hepatic lesions. The least decrease in oxygen availability and the least severe histologic changes occurred in control rats subjected to hypoxia only.

Regional blood flow during isoflurane and halothane anesthesia.

Cardiac output distribution and regional blood flow in 18 dogs during isoflurane and halothane anesthesia were studied in dose-related fashion. Surgical preparation consisted of left thoracotomy and placement of catheters in the left atrium and aorta through a femoral artery. Regional blood flow was studied one week after surgical preparation using a microsphere technique at the three stages: awake, 1 MAC, and 2 MAC of inhalation anesthesia. At each stage of the experiment, two sets of microspheres (15- and 9-micron diameter), labeled with different isotopes, were used simultaneously. Both anesthetics increased cerebral blood flow, decreased blood flow through preportal area, and preserved renal blood flow. Isoflurane increased hepatic artery blood flow at both levels of anesthesia, while halothane preserved the flow during 1 MAC and decreased it at 2 MAC. Apparently, isoflurane provided better oxygenation to the liver than halothane. Myocardial blood flow was increased during isoflurane (despite decrease in blood pressure and cardiac output) and decreased during halothane anesthesia. Isoflurane appears to be a coronary vasodilator with potential beneficial (improvement in myocardial blood supply) as well as hazardous ("steal effect") effects on the heart.

The determination of plasma corticosterone of chickens by high pressure liquid chromatography.

A simple method for separating and measuring chicken plasma corticosterone by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) is described. Plasma was extracted twice, first, with isooctane to remove nonpolar steroids and, second, the polar steroids were extracted with dichloromethane. Analytical recovery of added corticosterone was 96.5 +/- 1.9% (mean +/- SE). Interassay variability was less than 8% (coefficient of variation = 7.7%). The assay was specific for corticosterone with the exception of deoxyhydroxycorticosterone, which we do not believe to be in significant amounts in chicken plasma. Comparison of values obtained by the HPLC method to a radioimmunoassay method revealed no significant differences. Advantages of the present method include high specificity, simplicity, and cost. A disadvantage is the relatively large amount of corticosterone (plasma volume) required for detection. The method should be applicable to corticosterone determinations in the plasma of other species as well.