EFFECTS OF SEVOFLURANE AND HALOTHANE ON REPERFUSION-INDUCED ARRHYTHMIA IN THE ISOLATED RAT-HEART

The effects of sevoflurane and halothane on reperfusion-induced arrhyt hmia in the isolated rat heart were examined. Reperfusion-induced vent ricular fibrillation (VF) occurred in all rat hearts, and the duration of VF was 151 +/- 11(mean +/- SEM) seconds in the control group (no a nesthetics administered). Sevoflurane changed neither incidence nor du ration of VF at 1, 2, and 3 minimum alveolar concentrations (MAC) of a nesthetic. Halothane altered neither the incidence nor duration of VF compared with the control group at 1 MAC; however, at 2 and 3 MAC, hal othane significantly reduced the incidence and duration of VF (P< 0.05 at 1, 2, and 3 MAC halothane: respective incidences were 100%, 18%, a nd 55% and respective durations, 82 +/- 27 seconds, 20 +/- 6 seconds, and 13 +/- 9 seconds). In the isolated rat heart, we found that haloth ane has antiarrhythmic effects against reperfusion-induced arrhythmia at 2 and 3 MAC. Sevoflurane, however, did not have any antiarrhythmic effects against reperfusion-induced arrhythmia at 1, 2, or 3 MAC.