NORMAL PHYSIOLOGICAL VALUES OF NEONATAL PIGS AND THE EFFECTS OF ISOFLURANE AND PENTOBARBITAL-ANESTHESIA

The newborn piglet is becoming increasingly popular as a model for neo natal studies. However data on normal physiologic baseline values and the influence of anesthesia on these values are scarce. In this study, we describe husbandry, surgical, and experimental methods used to est ablish a conscious, chronically catheterized neonatal piglet model, wh ich enabled study of unrestrained piglets recovered from surgery and a nesthesia, for up to 10 days after separation from the sow Chronic cat heterization allowed repeated experiments to be performed in the same animals, reducing the number of animals needed for study Presented her ein are baseline resting hemodynamic and blood chemistry data and circ ulating hormone measurements of vasopressin, plasma renin activity, ad renocorticotrophic hormone, cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine for piglets in the first 2 weeks of life. Also, in two serie s of experiments, the effects of the gas anesthetic isoflurane and the injectable anesthetic pentobarbital on these baseline values were inv estigated. Results indicate that both pentobarbital and isoflurane eli cit changes in blood pressure, heart rate, vasopressin, plasma renin a ctivity and ventilatory drive that should be considered when using eit her of these anesthetic agents in acute studies.