Effects of inhalation anesthetics on myocardial and hepatic energy metabolism in normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats subjected to hemorrhage

Forty spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and forty normotensive Wistar-ST rats (NRs) were used to assess the influence of anesthetics on myocardial and hepatic energy metabolism after hemorrhage. They were divided into five pairs of groups: a control group (pentobarbital 6 mg.100 g BW-1 ip), and four others which received 1.2% halothane, 2.2% enflurane, 1.4% isoflurane, and 3.3% sevoflurane, respectively. Following a 10 min stabilization period, blood (2 ml.100 g BW-1) was gradually withdrawn over a 5 min period from a femoral artery. Thirty min after the induction of hemorrhage, the heart and liver were removed and myocardial and hepatic metabolites (ATP, lactate, pyruvate and glycogen) were measured by enzymatic methods. There were no significant differences in myocardial metabolites among either the anesthetic groups or between SHRs and NRs. However, hepatic ATP levels in all SHR groups were significantly lower than those in NR groups. Moreover, ATP levels in the inhalation anesthetic groups of SHRs were significantly higher than that in the control group of SHRs. All inhalation anesthetics, especially isoflurane, may reduce metabolic deterioration of the liver during hemorrhage when compared to barbiturate anesthesia.