Several anesthetics, but not diethyl ether, cause marked elevation of serum parathyroid hormone concentration in rats.
The effects of anesthetics on serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations were determined by a new homologous two-site immunoradiometric assay for rat PTH. Serum PTH concentrations (mean +/- SE) from ether-anesthetized rats (14.7 +/- 1.5 pg/ml, n = 22) were not significantly different from those of decapitated unanesthetized female rats (13.0 +/- 1.8 pg/ml, n = 21). Serum PTH concentrations in pg/ml (n = 4-14) for other anesthetics tested were: ketamine, 12.5 +/- 1.1; Na pentobarbital, 23.3 +/- 2.4; methoxyflurane (inhalation), 42.2 +/- 6.8; and xylazine combined with ketamine, 51.4 +/- 11.3 pg/ml. The latter two concentrations were significantly (p < 0.001) higher than the values for all other anesthetics and decapitation. Elevation of serum PTH induced by pentobarbital or ketamine + xylazine increased with time under anesthesia. Neither serum Ca2+ concentrations nor pH differed among any of the groups. We conclude that anesthesia induced by pentobarbital, methoxyflurane, or ketamine + xylazine in rats leads to a marked elevation of serum PTH levels that appears to be related to the duration of anesthesia and not due to any measurable fall in serum Ca2+.
Schultz
V L
VL
Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
Boass
A
A
Garner
S C
SC
Toverud
S U
SU
D000777:Anesthetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004986:Ether / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D015592:Immunoradiometric Assay; D007649:Ketamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D007774:Lactation / Q000187:drug effects; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D000777:Anesthetics; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D004986:Ether; D007649:Ketamine; D002118:Calcium