title: Desflurane affords greater protection than halothane in the function of mitochondria against forebrain ischemia reperfusion injury in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Halothane and desflurane have been shown to attenuate neuronal injury; however, the effects of these anesthetics on mitochondria are unclear. We investigated whether halothane and desflurane affect the function of mitochondria after cerebral ischemia in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 10 each): sham group; 1.5 minimal alveolar concentration (MAC) halothane group; 1.0 MAC desflurane; and 1.5 MAC desflurane group. Forebrain ischemia was induced after 40-min inhalation of 1.5 MAC halothane, 1.0 MAC or 1.5 MAC desflurane by clamping the bilateral common carotid arteries and decreasing arterial blood pressure. After isolation of the brain mitochondria, mitochondrial membrane permeability was assayed spectrophotometrically with 40-200 microM Ca(2+), and mitochondrial membrane potentials were measured by a fluorospectrophotometer with the addition of rhodamine 123. The activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes were also assayed spectrophotometrically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed obvious mitochondrial swelling, loss of membrane potential with the addition of Ca(2+), and inhibition of the activities of complexes I + III and IV after forebrain ischemia reperfusion injury. Compared with the 1.5 MAC halothane group, 1.0 and 1.5 MAC desflurane reduced mitochondrial swelling by 23.9% (P < 0.001) and 23.2% (P < 0.001), whereas membrane potential dissipation was suppressed by 22.4% (P = 0.013) and 20.4% (P = 0.027). The activities of complexes I + III and IV were better preserved in 1.0 MAC and 1.5 MAC desflurane groups than in the 1.5 MAC halothane group by 34.6% (P = 0.027), 38.7% (P = 0.011), 53.9% (P = 0.009), and 55.8% (P = 0.007), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Desflurane shows better preservation of mitochondrial function at 4 h after cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury, indicated by inhibition of mitochondrial swelling, increase of membrane potential, and improvement of functions of mitochondria respiratory complexes I + III and IV when compared with halothane.
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, 150086 Harbin, China.
authors: Bing
authors: B
authors: Zhang
authors: Xia
authors: X
authors: Wei
authors: Xiaoguang
authors: X
authors: Cui
authors: Huacheng
authors: H
authors: Zhou
authors: Wengang
authors: W
authors: Ding
authors: Wenzhi
authors: W
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000517:prevention & control; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D000077335:Desflurane; D006221:Halothane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D023421:Models, Animal; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D000077335:Desflurane; D007530:Isoflurane; D006221:Halothane