thiopental and Rodent-Diseases

Adult, male hamsters anesthetized with lnactin [5-ethyl-5-(1-methyl propyl)-2-thiobarbiturate] were found to be hyperglycemic. Blood glucose concentrations in anesthetized hamsters (300.1+/-15.6 mg/dl) were more than twice those of control animals (144.8+/-7.7 mg/dl). Neither the length of time under anesthesia nor the performance of surgery influenced the blood glucose concentration.

Topics: Anesthesia; Animals; Blood Glucose; Cricetinae; Hyperglycemia; Male; Rodent Diseases; Thiobarbiturates; Thiopental; Time Factors

Arterial blood gas tensions and acid-base status of spontaneously-breathing, unanesthetized Wister rats were compared with values obtained during 4 hr of thiopental and 6 hr of halothane (1%) anesthesia. During thiopental anesthesia, marked respiratory depression occurred (PaCO-2:57.0 plus or minus 10.0 MM Hg, PaO-2:70.4 plus or minus 11.2 MM Hg). Thirty-six percent of the rats died. During inhalation of room air and 1% halothane, PaO-2 decreased also, whereas PaO-2 did not change. Twenty-seven percent of the original number of rats died. Lowered arterial oxygen tension may have caused death; no rats died during inhalation of oxygen and 1% halothane. This technic insured sufficient analgesia for surgical procedures without marked alterations of the acid base status and is recommended for long-term anesthesia of small laboratory animals like rats.

Topics: Acid-Base Equilibrium; Analgesia; Anesthesia, General; Anesthesia, Inhalation; Animals; Bicarbonates; Body Temperature; Carbon Dioxide; Halothane; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Oxygen; Rats; Respiration; Rodent Diseases; Thiopental; Time Factors