A. Yesilkaya et al., DEFORMABILITY AND OXIDANT STRESS IN RED-BLOOD-CELLS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF HALOTHANE AND ISOFLURANE ANESTHESIA, General pharmacology, 31(1), 1998, pp. 33-36
1. The effects of halothane and isoflurane anesthesia on red blood cel
l (RBC) deformability, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes were
tested in rabbits. 2. RBC transit time was significantly increased to
2.12+/-0.07 msec after 1-hr halothane anesthesia preceded by 6 mg/kg
pentobarbital injections from 1.98+/-0.07 msec preanesthesia value (p<
0.05). Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances also were increased sig
nificantly, being 23.35+/-2.75 nmol/gHb and 33.11+/-5.34 nmol/gHb befo
re and after anesthesia, respectively (p<0.05). 3. Under halothane ane
sthesia without prior pentobarbital injection or under isoflurane anes
thesia with or without pentobarbital injection, no significant alterat
ions were observed in these parameters. 4. RBC superoxide dismutase ac
tivity was decreased in the group anesthetized with the pentobarbital-
halothane combination. The impaired RBC deformability and increased ox
idant damage might be related to the free radical formation during the
metabolism of halothane. Pentobarbital can potentiate this effect eit
her by inducing cytochrome P-450 or by altering antioxidant defense. 5
. Alterations in RBC mechanical properties may contribute to the tissu
e perfusion problems that develop after surgery under general anesthes
ia. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.