Effect of anesthesia and hypothermia on chicken erythrocyte susceptibilityon in vitro peroxidation

Isoflurane is known as an inhalation anesthetic and hypothermia has the pot ential to cause oxidation stress in chicken erythrocytes. Anesthetized chic kens were subjected to cooling by immersion in cold water (10-12 degreesC) from normal colonic temperature of 41 degreesC to 36 degreesC. Lipid peroxi dation measured as the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TB ARS) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were determined in anesthetized chicken erythrocytes in hypothermia and posthypothermia before and after in vitro i ncubation with hydrogen peroxide. The level of TEARS before incubation incr eased in hypothermia (P < 0.001) although hypothermia without anesthesia mi ght reduce free radical generation (Gradinski-Vrbanac et al., 1999). The co ncentration of GSH was not changed in hypothermia. The susceptibility of er ythrocytes to in vitro peroxidation was increased in anesthetized (P < 0.00 1) and posthypotermic group (P < 0.001), but not in hypothermia. Erythrocyt es from anesthetized and posthypothermic chickens seam to be the least resi stant to peroxidative stress induced with hydrogen peroxide. These data sho w that increased lipid peroxidation in chicken erythrocytes is supposed to occur as a result of oxidative stress caused by anesthesia and hypothermia.