title: Tribromoethanol-medetomidine combination provides a safe and reversible anesthetic effect in Sprague-Dawley rats.
abstract: Tribromoethanol typically is used alone as a general anesthetic agent for rodent surgeries. In the present study, the alpha2-adrenergic agonists xylazine and medetomidine were combined with tribromoethanol to examine their use as alternate and safe anesthetic regimes in rats. We also tested the effect of atipamezole, an alpha2-adrenergic antagonist, in reversing the anesthetic effect of the tribromoethanol-medetomidine combination. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to evaluate the effects of tribromoethanol (400 mg/kg intraperitoneally [i.p.]) or tribromoethanol (150 mg/kg) and medetomidine (0.5 mg/kg i.p.). Tribromoethanol (400 mg/kg)-treated rats were anesthetized for an average of 10 min, whereas rats that received tribromoethanol (150 mg/kg) and medetomidine (0.5 mg/kg) remained anesthetized for an average of 55 min. Recovery time was approximately 6 min for the tribromoethanol (400 mg/kg) group compared with 21 min for the animals that received tribromoethanol and medetomidine. In a second study, three groups of rats were given tribromoethanol (150 mg/kg) and medetomidine (0.5 mg/kg). Group 1 received atipamezole (an alpha2-antagonist; 2.5 mg/kg i.p.) 10 min after anesthetic induction, and group 2 received the same dosage at 20 min post-induction. Group 3 was allowed to recover without atipamezole treatment. The anesthetic effects in animals from groups 1 and 2 were reversed after administration of atipamezole, whereas group 3 remained anesthetized. This study demonstrates the safe and effective use of tribromoethanol-medetomidine as an anesthetic in the rat.
authors.affiliation: St. Louis Community College, 3400 Pershall Rd., St. Louis, Missouri 631351, USA.
authors.forename: Chaya
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gopalan
authors.forename: Gowri M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Hegade
authors.forename: Tammi N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Bay
authors.forename: Shaun R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Talcott
mesh_terms: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000662:veterinary*; D019162:Anesthetics, Combined / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal / Q000662:veterinary; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D020926:Medetomidine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012449:Safety
chemical_list: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D019162:Anesthetics, Combined; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D007093:Imidazoles; C050701:atipamezole; C062527:tribromoethanol; D000431:Ethanol; D020926:Medetomidine