title: Increases in heart rate and systolic blood pressure in anesthetized dogs affected with X-linked muscular dystrophy after cisatracurium administration: a retrospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most patients affected with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) present with arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies. Drugs which potentially may induce tachycardia or hypertension could precipitate acute cardiac failure in these patients and should be avoided.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty anesthesia records of five experimental male golden retriever cross-bred dogs affected with X-linked muscular dystrophy (GRDM), a model of DMD, were retrospectively reviewed (DMD group). Anesthesia records were compared with those of 10 golden retriever dogs not affected with muscular dystrophy (control group). Records were excluded if dogs received anticholinergics or vasoactive amines. Anesthesia was induced with fentanyl followed by propofol, both intravenously. After orotracheal intubation, all dogs' lungs were mechanically ventilated. Anesthesia was maintained with infusion of fentanyl and propofol (DMD group) or isoflurane in oxygen (control group). Pure O(2) was provided to the DMD group. Cisatracurium (0.1 mg·kg(-1) ) was administered intravenously to all dogs. Five-min interval recordings of HR and systolic blood pressures (SAP) were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immediately after the administration of cisatracurium, absolute values for HR and SAP significantly increased by 78.3 ± 37.0 b·min(-1) (115.4 ± 64.9%) and 33.0 ± 28.3 mmHg (33.5 ± 31.2%), respectively, in all DMD dogs and remained significantly increased for 10 and 30 min, respectively. Dogs in the control group did not show significant increases in HR or SAP after cisatracurium administration. All dogs recovered from anesthesia without complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this report, increases in HR and SAP could be associated with the administration of cisatracurium in individuals affected with X-linked muscular dystrophy. These cardiovascular changes deserve further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. f.staffieri@veterinaria.uniba.it
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Staffieri
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sleeper
authors.forename: Maria Paula
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Larenza
mesh_terms: D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000771:Anesthesia, Intravenous; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D000818:Animals; D001279:Atracurium / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D004285:Dogs; D005283:Fentanyl; D040181:Genetic Diseases, X-Linked / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D020388:Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003473:Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015742:Propofol; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D003473:Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D001279:Atracurium; C101584:cisatracurium; D005283:Fentanyl; D015742:Propofol