ALCOHOL PRETREATMENT DOES NOT AFFECT BUPIVACAINE PHARMACOKINETICS IN THE PIG

We investigated whether alcohol pretreatment sufficient to cause fatty liver change would affect the disposition of bupivacaine after i.v. a dministration in pigs. Twelve male pigs (22-26 kg) were randomly divid ed into two groups of six each. Group A received ethanol (1 g kg(-1) d ay(-1)) via an intragastric tube for 16 days. Group D received an equa l volume of isocaloric dextrose 44% in water for this period. On day 1 7, left internal jugular and carotid cannulae were placed under thiope ntone anaesthesia. On recovery from anaesthesia, a blood sample was ta ken for the determination of liver function indices and then bupivacai ne hydrochloride (1.2 mg kg(-1)) was administered over one minute and samples for plasma bupivacaine analysis taken from the arterial cannul ae over the next five hours. Right liver lobe biopsies were taken and animals were killed under general anaesthesia. Blind evaluation of liv er biopsies confirmed fatty liver changes only in alcohol-pretreated l ivers. Despite this there were no differences in bupivacaine dispositi on and liver function indices between the two groups. (C) 1996 The Ita lian Pharmacological Society.