title: Cardiovascular and central nervous system effects of intravenous levobupivacaine and bupivacaine in sheep.
abstract: Commercially available bupivacaine is an equimolar mixture of R(+)- and S(-)-bupivacaine. S(-)-bupivacaine (i.e., levobupivacaine) is currently undergoing preclinical evaluation. Cross-over studies with i.v. levobupivacaine and bupivacaine were conducted in two groups of seven conscious sheep. Doses were chosen to avoid convulsions (smaller dose 6.25-37.5 mg/min) or to be potentially toxic (larger dose 75-200 mg/3 min). In subconvulsive doses, both drugs produced similar time- and dose-dependent depression of left ventricular systolic contractility (dP/dt(max)). Convulsions occurred consistently with > or = 75 mg of bupivacaine and > or = 100 mg of levobupivacaine, producing an abrupt reversal of dP/dt(max) depression. Subconvulsive doses produced minor cardiovascular effects on heart rate and blood pressure, whereas both were increased by convulsions. Cardiac output and myocardial blood flow were decreased with larger doses of both drugs. Doses > 75 mg of bupivacaine or > 100 mg of levobupivacaine induced QRS widening and ventricular arrhythmias, but significantly fewer and less deleterious arrhythmias were induced by levobupivacaine. Three animals died after 150, 150, and 200 mg of bupivacaine from the sudden onset of ventricular fibrillation. These doses of levobupivacaine produced nonfatal arrhythmias that automatically returned to sinus rhythm. We conclude that levobupivacaine could offer a greater margin of clinical safety than bupivacaine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Levobupivacaine comprises 50% of commercially available bupivacaine and is being considered for use in its own right. Local anesthetics can cause toxicity to the cardiovascular and central nervous systems. As a part of a preclinical evaluation of levobupivacaine, this study compared the toxic effects of levobupivacaine and bupivacaine in sheep.
authors.affiliation: Cooperative Research Centre for Cardiac Technology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Y F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pryor
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Mather
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Veering
mesh_terms: D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000187:drug effects; D002423:Cause of Death; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D012449:Safety; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced; D012756:Sheep; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013599:Systole; D013997:Time Factors; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000139:chemically induced; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D002045:Bupivacaine