title: Evaluation of a combination of alfaxalone with medetomidine and butorphanol for inducing surgical anesthesia in laboratory mice.
abstract: The anesthetic effects of alfaxalone were investigated in mice. Mice were administered alfaxalone (100 mg/kg) alone or the combinations of 0.3 mg/kg of medetomidine and 5 mg/kg of butorphanol with alfaxalone at doses of 20 mg/kg (M/B/A20), 40 mg/kg (M/B/A40), 60 mg/kg (M/B/A60), or 80 mg/kg (M/B/A80). Control mice received 0.3 mg/kg of medetomidine, 4 mg/kg of midazolam, and 5 mg/kg of butorphanol (M/M/B). Each drug was administrated by intraperitoneal (IP) or subcutaneous (SC) routes. M/M/B IP did not achieve surgical anesthesia but M/M/B SC achieved surgical anesthesia within 10 min after administration and maintained anesthesia for 45 min. The anesthetic scores were very low after IP or SC administration of alfaxalone alone. M/B/A20 IP and SC did not achieve surgical anesthesia. M/B/A40 IP did not achieve surgical anesthesia but M/B/A40 SC achieved surgical anesthesia within 10 min after administration and maintained anesthesia for 35 min. M/B/A60 SC achieved surgical anesthesia within 5 min after administration and maintained anesthesia for 75 min. By contrast, M/B/A60 IP did not achieve surgical anesthesia. M/B/A80 SC achieved surgical anesthesia within 5 min after administration and maintained anesthesia for 85 min. By contrast, M/B/A80 IP did not achieve surgical anesthesia and one mouse died about 10 min after drug administration. Administration of atipamezole rapidly reversed anesthesia induced by M/B/A60 in mice. These results suggest that M/B/A60 SC, an alfaxalone-based combination, is suitable for inducing surgical anesthesia in laboratory mice.
authors: Shota
authors: S
authors: Higuchi
authors: Riku
authors: R
authors: Yamada
authors: Asami
authors: A
authors: Hashimoto
authors: Kenjiro
authors: K
authors: Miyoshi
authors: Kazuto
authors: K
authors: Yamashita
authors: Takeo
authors: T
authors: Ohsugi
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia / Q000662:veterinary*; D000777:Anesthetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019162:Anesthetics, Combined; D000818:Animals; D002077:Butorphanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D020926:Medetomidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D011277:Pregnanediones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
chemical_list: D000777:Anesthetics; D019162:Anesthetics, Combined; D011277:Pregnanediones; C006477:alphaxalone; D020926:Medetomidine; D002077:Butorphanol