title: Pentobarbital anesthesia alters pulmonary vascular response to neural antagonists.
abstract: We investigated the effects of pentobarbital sodium anesthesia on vasoregulation of the pulmonary circulation. Our specific objectives were to 1) assess the net effect of pentobarbital on the base-line pulmonary vascular pressure-to-cardiac index (P/Q) relationship compared with that measured in conscious dogs, and 2) determine whether autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation of the intact P/Q relationship is altered during pentobarbital. P/Q plots were constructed by graded constriction of the thoracic inferior vena cava, which produced stepwise decreases in Q. Pentobarbital (30 mg/kg iv) had no net effect on the base-line P/Q relationship. In contrast, changes in the conscious intact P/Q relationship in response to ANS antagonists were markedly altered during pentobarbital. Sympathetic alpha-adrenergic receptor block with prazosin caused active pulmonary vasodilation (P less than 0.01) in conscious dogs but caused vasoconstriction (P less than 0.01) during pentobarbital. Sympathetic beta-adrenergic receptor block with propranolol caused active pulmonary vasoconstriction (P less than 0.01) in both groups, but the magnitude of the vasoconstriction was attenuated (P less than 0.05) during pentobarbital at most levels of Q. Finally, cholinergic receptor block with atropine resulted in active pulmonary vasodilation (P less than 0.01) in conscious dogs, whereas vasoconstriction (P less than 0.01) was observed during pentobarbital. Thus, although pentobarbital had no net effect on the base-line P/Q relationship measured in conscious dogs, ANS regulation of the intact pulmonary vascular P/Q relationship was altered during pentobarbital anesthesia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland 21205.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Nyhan
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Goll
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Fehr
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Clougherty
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Murray
mesh_terms: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000818:Animals; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000187:drug effects; D004285:Dogs; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010424:Pentobarbital; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D010276:Parasympatholytics; D010424:Pentobarbital