Provision of physiological data and reference values in awake and anaesthetized female sheep aged 6-12 months.
OBJECTIVE
To provide physiological data and reference values in awake and anaesthetized sheep aged 6-12 months.


METHODS
Descriptive study.


METHODS
Data from 260 female sheep of the species Ovis orientalis aries aged 6-12 months were extracted from 10 experimental trials.


METHODS
Data from pulmonary arterial thermodilution in awake (cohort 1; n = 109) and anaesthetized animals (cohort 2; n = 81), and transpulmonary thermodilution in anaesthetized animals (cohort 3; n = 70) were analysed. General anaesthesia was induced by intramuscular injection of S-ketamine and midazolam and maintained by inhaled isoflurane. Standard laboratory variables (blood gas and clinical chemistry) were assessed.


RESULTS
A total of 7553 single data entries from 260 healthy sheep were included. Measurement errors or invalid data documentation meant that 313 data entries (4.1%) were excluded. A small confidence interval for median values was calculated for nearly all variables. The median body weight was 39.8 kg (2.5-97.5th percentile 30.6-48.1 kg). A set of reference values (2.5-97.5th percentiles) is provided for common cardiopulmonary and laboratory variables. Compared to awake animals, haemodynamic variables were markedly influenced by anaesthesia, as reflected by a considerably lower stroke volume index in anaesthetized sheep. There were also differences in stroke volume index between the cohorts of pulmonary artery and transpulmonary thermodilution.


CONCLUSIONS
The present work presents a large and consistent database of a variety of physiological variables measured in healthy juvenile female sheep. The data appear to be robust and allow the establishment of standardized inclusion criteria for experimental studies and may help to better evaluate past, present and future research. Differences between pulmonary artery and transpulmonary thermodilution should be assessed in future studies.
Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, University Hospital of Muenster, Muenster, Germany. Electronic address: kampmeier@uni-muenster.de.
Tim
T
Kampmeier
Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, University Hospital of Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
Philip
P
Arnemann
Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, University Hospital of Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
Michael
M
Heßler
Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, University Hospital of Muenster, Muenster, Germany; Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care, Emergency and Pain Medicine, University Hospital of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Sebastian
S
Rehberg
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
Andrea
A
Morelli
Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, University Hospital of Muenster, Muenster, Germany; Fresenius Kabi Deutschland, Bad Homburg, Germany.
Martin
M
Westphal
Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, University Hospital of Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
Matthias
M
Lange
Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, University Hospital of Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
Hugo
H
Van Aken
Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, University Hospital of Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
Christian
C
Ertmer
D000758:Anesthesia / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis / Q000662:veterinary; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight; D016208:Databases, Factual; D037901:Euthanasia, Animal; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D007530:Isoflurane; D007649:Ketamine; D008874:Midazolam; D012016:Reference Values; D012756:Sheep / Q000502:physiology*; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D013815:Thermodilution / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology
D007649:Ketamine; D007530:Isoflurane; D008874:Midazolam
animal models; haemodynamics; physiological monitoring; reference values; sheep