title: Effects of etomidate, propofol and thiopental anaesthesia on arteriolar tone in the rat diaphragm.
abstract: We have assessed, by intravital microscopy in rats, the effects of different anaesthetics on diaphragmatic arteriolar diameter. Rats were anaesthetized with etomidate, propofol or thiopental (groups E, P and T, respectively) and the diameters of the arterioles were measured sequentially at baseline and after topical application of either mefenamic acid (MA, 20 mumol litre-1) or N omega-nitro-L-arginine (NNA, 300 mumol litre-1), inhibitors of prostaglandins and nitric oxide, respectively. In group E, baseline arteriolar diameters were significantly higher than those in the two other groups (P < 0.01). MA and NNA induced significant constriction in the three groups (P < 0.001). However, whereas constriction induced by NNA was similar in the three groups, constriction induced by MA was significantly higher in group E compared with groups P and T (P < 0.05). We conclude that diaphragmatic arteriolar diameters in rats were greater during etomidate than during thiopental or propofol anaesthesia. This phenomenon may be mediated by prostaglandins.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U408, Faculté X. Bichat, Paris, France.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bazin
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dureuil
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Danialou
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vicaut
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aubier
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Desmonts
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boczkowski
mesh_terms: D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001160:Arterioles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects*; D005045:Etomidate / Q000494:pharmacology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects; D015742:Propofol / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013874:Thiopental / Q000494:pharmacology; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D013874:Thiopental; D015742:Propofol; D005045:Etomidate