Title: Is α-chloralose plus halothane induction a suitable anesthetic regimen for cerebrovascular research?
Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine whether α-chloralose, when associated with an initial period of halothane, is a suitable anesthetic regimen for cerebrovascular studies. For this purpose, rats anesthetized with α-chloralose plus halothane induction were first subjected to noxious stimuli, and the behavior, EEG and systemic variables were recorded. During a second step, cortical blood flow was measured with laser-Doppler flowmetry and the time-course of the cerebrovascular reactivity to hypercapnia were measured in artificially ventilated rats anesthetized with either α-chloralose (40 mg · kg−1, s.c.) plus halothane induction (1.5% given during the first 45–60 min) or halothane alone (1.5%). Finally, an experimental paradigm was developed that allowed the comparison of the hypercapnic reactivity, both in awake anesthetized conditions in the same animal. Our results show that the association of α-chloralose with halothane leads to stable cardiovascular parameters and immobility of ventilated rats, placed in ear bars without curare, for 3 h without any sign of discomfort. Based on EEG criteria, we found that halothane induction lengthens the duration of α-chloralose anesthesia (253 ± 19vs. 200 ± 15min, P < 0.01). Under α-chloralose alone or in association with halothane induction, the vascular reactivity to hypercapnia was considerably impaired (−85% compared to the awake state, P < 0.01), but this impairment was transient, since a control reactivity was restored 150–190 min after induction of anesthesia. Under halothane alone, the vascular reactivity remained reduced throughout the experiment. These results provide evidence that α-chloralose plus halothane induction is a suitable anesthetic regimen which displays a temporal window of normal cerebrovascular reactivity.
Publication Year: 1994
Publication Date: 1994-12-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 85
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