Abstract

Two groups of rats were anaesthetized at weekly intervals for 6 weeks with either ketamine/medetomidine alone (60 mg/0.4 mg/kg i.p.) or ketamine/medetomidine (45 mg/0.3 mg/kg i.p.) one hour following buprenorphine (0.05 mg/kg s.c.). Animals that received buprenorphine had longer periods of surgical anaesthesia (P = 0.04) and a greater depression of both mean pedal withdrawal score (P < 0.01) and mean respiratory rate (P = 0.014). Mean total duration of anaesthesia was also greater in the buprenorphine group on day I. Sleep times reduced with successive doses of anaesthetic in the buprenorphine group (P = 0.024). Two animals in the buprenorphine group died. Repeated anaesthesia with ketamine/medetomidine alone was not associated with anaesthetic mortality. These results indicate that although buprenorphine has a clear anaesthetic-sparing effect, its use with ketamine/medetomidine may be associated with an increased risk of anaesthetic-related mortality.

Keywords

buprenorphine; rat; analgesia; ketamine; medetomidine; anaesthesia

Published in

Laboratory Animals
2000, Volume: 34, number: 2, pages: 207-211
Publisher: ROYAL SOC MEDICINE PRESS LTD

UKÄ Subject classification

Clinical Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1258/002367700780457536

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/85305