title: Effects of halothane, isoflurane and sevoflurane on calcium-related contraction in porcine coronary arteries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Volatile anaesthetics have a direct inhibitory effect upon epicardial coronary arterial smooth muscles (1-4). The site and mode of their action at the cellular level need to be clarified, which was the purpose of our study. The present investigation attempted to answer the question in what way volatile anaesthetics influence Ca(2+)-related contraction in isolated porcine epicardial coronary to understand their intracellular mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Isolated helical strips of porcine epicardial coronary artery without endothelium were suspended for isotonic contraction recordings in Krebs-Ringer's solution. 9.4 x 10(-2) MK+, 2.5 x 10(-3) M Ca(2+)-induced shortening of the strips was regarded as the reference value (100%). After incubation in Ca(2+)-free solution with 10(-3) M ethlene glycol bis (beta-aminoethyl ether)-N, N-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) for 60 minutes, the muscle strips were exposed to increasing Ca2+ concentrations (10(-4)-10(-2)) either in the presence or absence of 1.5 or 2.5 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) halothane, isoflurane or sevoflurane, with 9.4 x 10(-2) M K+ bath solution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All three drug groups produced apparent biphasic effects with a cumulative increase of Ca2+ concentration compared with control groups. An initial increase at low Ca2+ concentration was followed by a decrease of Ca(2+)-activated contractions. Isoflurane affected Ca(2+)-induced contraction significantly more than halothane and sevoflurane.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results imply that volatile anaesthetics influence Ca(2+)-dependent activity of coronary smooth muscle by complex mechanisms, which involve promotion of intracellular Ca2+ release and other mechanisms that alter sensitivity to calcium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: X P
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: List
mesh_terms: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004987:Ethers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006221:Halothane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D000077149:Sevoflurane; D013552:Swine; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D004987:Ethers; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D000077149:Sevoflurane; D007530:Isoflurane; D002118:Calcium; D006221:Halothane