title: Monitoring of blood gas parameters and acid-base balance of pregnant and non-pregnant rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in routine experimental conditions.
abstract: Blood gas parameters and acid-base balance values were determined in adult pregnant New Zealand rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in standard laboratory housing conditions and during anaesthesia with an association of ketamine-chlorpromazine, administered before surgical procedures. All the variables were also studied in adult non-pregnant female, used as controls. No differences in pH, sO2c, O2Hb, COHb, sO2m and a-vDO2 were found between pregnant and non-pregnant rabbits in physiological conditions and during anaesthesia. Ketamine-chlorpromazine and pregnancy seemed to change the other parameters used to assess the acid-base balance and the oxygenation conditions. Anaesthesia affected only Hb, O2Ct, O2Cap, CcO2 and P50. The additive effect of pregnancy and anaesthesia modified pCO2, pO2, HCO3-, TCO2, BEb, SBC, BEecf, A-aDO2, RI, MetHb, RHb, CaO2 and CvO2. The patterns described are close to those of other species, suggesting the New Zealand rabbit might be a reliable animal model for monitoring selected variables.
authors.affiliation: Perinatal Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Barzago
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bortolotti
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Omarini
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Aramayona
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonati
mesh_terms: D000136:Acid-Base Equilibrium; D000818:Animals; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis / Q000662:veterinary*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000662:veterinary; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010313:Partial Pressure; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen