Halothane anesthesia abolishes pulmonary vascular responses to neural antagonists.
We investigated the effects of the inhalational anesthetic halothane on autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation of the baseline pulmonary vascular pressure-flow (P/Q) relationship compared with that measured in the conscious state. Multipoint pulmonary vascular P/Q plots were constructed by stepwise constriction of the thoracic inferior vena cava to decrease venous return and Q. P/Q plots were generated in the same dogs in the conscious state and during halothane anesthesia (approximately 1.2% end tidal) in the intact (no drug) condition and after administration of selective ANS antagonists. In conscious dogs, sympathetic alpha 1-adrenoreceptor block with prazosin decreased (P less than 0.01) the pulmonary vascular pressure gradient [pulmonary arterial pressure-pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (PAP-PAWP)] over the entire range of Q studied; i.e., inhibition of endogenous alpha 1-adrenoreceptor activity caused pulmonary vasodilation. In contrast, alpha 1-adrenoreceptor block had no effect on PAP-PAWP at any value of Q during halothane anesthesia. In conscious dogs, sympathetic beta-adrenoreceptor block with propranolol increased (P less than 0.01) PAP-PAWP over the entire range of Q studied; i.e., inhibition of endogenous beta-adrenoreceptor activity resulted in pulmonary vasoconstriction. However, beta-adrenoreceptor block had no effect on PAP-PAWP at any value of Q during halothane anesthesia. Finally, cholinergic receptor block with atropine decreased (P less than 0.05) PAP-PAWP at values of Q greater than 100 ml.min-1.kg-1 in conscious dogs but had no effect on PAP-PAWP at any value of Q during halothane anesthesia. These results indicate that endogenous ANS regulation of the baseline pulmonary vascular P/Q relationship observed in conscious dogs is abolished during halothane anesthesia.
Department of Anesthesiology/Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland 21205.
B B
BB
Chen
D P
DP
Nyhan
D M
DM
Fehr
P A
PA
Murray
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000818:Animals; D001340:Autonomic Nerve Block; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D004285:Dogs; D006221:Halothane / Q000494:pharmacology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D010276:Parasympatholytics; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D006221:Halothane