Sedative action of the alpha 2-agonist medetomidine in cats.
Medetomidine, a novel alpha 2-agonist drug intended for small animal sedation, was injected intramuscularly at dose rates of 0.02, 0.06 and 0.18 mg/kg. Xylazine (3.0 mg/kg) and saline were used for comparison. The five treatments were tested in a Latin square design in five cats. Treatments differed significantly in three-way analysis of variance, medetomidine inducing an increase in drowsiness with a corresponding decrease in both aroused waking and sleep determined by polygraphical criteria. The duration of effect was dose-dependent. The effect of 0.18 mg/kg medetomidine was comparable to 3.0 mg/kg of xylazine. The drugs also induced bradycardia.
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects; D002415:Cats / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D020926:Medetomidine; D008838:Microcomputers; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D014991:Xylazine / Q000494:pharmacology
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D007093:Imidazoles; D014991:Xylazine; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D020926:Medetomidine