title: The decrease of the minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration produced by sufentanil in rats.
abstract: The anesthetic potency of sufentanil was established by determining its effect on the minimal alveolar anesthetic concentration (MAC) of halothane. Each of eight selected doses of sufentanil was administered to a group of four to five mechanically ventilated rats anesthetized with halothane. Sufentanil was administered as a constant infusion preceded by an intravenous bolus dose that was three times that of the infusion rate per minute. The tail-clamp technique was used to establish control MAC and the MAC of halothane with sufentanil. Increasing sufentanil dosages were nonlinearly related to reductions in the MAC of halothane. A sigmoidal dose-response curve was described. An abrupt, steep response follows the initial upward deflection of the curve with an additional 62% MAC reduction occurring between doses of 1 X 10(-5) mg X kg-1 X min-1 and 1 X 10(-4) mg X kg-1 X min-1. Essentially complete anesthesia was seen at the latter dosage. No significant adverse side effects were seen with sufentanil at doses up to 1 X 10(-2) mg X kg-1 X min-1.
mesh_terms: D000769:Anesthesia, Inhalation; D000771:Anesthesia, Intravenous; D000777:Anesthetics; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006221:Halothane / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D017409:Sufentanil
chemical_list: D000777:Anesthetics; D017409:Sufentanil; D005283:Fentanyl; D006221:Halothane