Growth of allogeneic sarcoma in mice subjected to halothane anesthesia and/or surgical stress.
The present study was designed to clarify mechanisms involved in suppression of cell-mediated immunity reported in patients undergoing major surgery with general anesthesia by determining the effects of halothane anesthesia with and without surgery on the growth of Sarcoma I (Sa I), a tumor allogeneic to BALB/c mice. Mice were given subcutaneous injections of 5 X 10(6) tumor cells from A/Jax mice and then immediately exposed to 0.5%-1.0% halothane for 1 hr without surgery (n = 7) or with surgery (midline laparotomy; n = 12). In control groups mice were also injected with tumor cells but were not exposed to prolonged halothane anesthesia. Some of them received only Sa I (n = 6), while the rest (n = 7) were also laparotomized. The rejection time of Sa I in mice exposed to halothane anesthesia was significantly longer (15.4 +/- 1.25 days) than in untreated controls (12.0 +/- 0.68 days) (P less than 0.05). In the mice exposed to halothane tumor growth was also greater. Surgical stress per se did not significantly affect growth or rejection time of Sa I (11.0 +/- 0.66 vs 12.0 +/- 0.68 days). Similarly, the combination of surgical stress with halothane anesthesia did not affect the immunosuppression associated with halothane alone (12.9 +/- 1.3 vs 15.4 +/- 1.25; P less than 0.05). The results indicate that halothane anesthesia per se may be associated with impairment of cell-mediated immunity under experimental conditions.
Radosević-Stasić
B
B
Department of Physiology and Immunology, Medical Faculty, University Vladimir Bakaric, Rijeka, Yugoslavia.
Udović-Sirola
M
M
Stojanov
L
L
Ribarić
L
L
Rukavina
D
D
D000769:Anesthesia, Inhalation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D006221:Halothane / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D012513:Sarcoma, Experimental / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000009:adverse effects*
D006221:Halothane