The effects of halothane anaesthesia on antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in rats.
Lymphocytes from rats killed while anaesthetized with 1-5 per cent halothane showed a significantly reduced capacity to induce lysis of antibody-coated target cells compared with those from untreated rats. This effect was short-lived however, being no longer apparent in lymphoid cells taken from rats 2 h after their recovery from such anaesthesia. Surgical procedures were not effective in extending the duration of reduced ADCC activity. The implication of these findings is that the post-operative depression of this in vitro assay of immunocompetence results from the influence of the anaesthetic agent per se or its metabolities with surgical trauma having little role.
D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D006221:Halothane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative
D000906:Antibodies; D006221:Halothane