• C Bauer, C Sattel, U Grundmann, M Bauer, I Marzi, and R Larsen.
• Klinik für Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin, Universitätskliniken des Saarlandes.
• Anasthesiol Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther. 1995 Jun 1; 30 (4): 226-30.

ObjectiveIt is well known that the volatile anaesthetics halothane, enflurane and isoflurane alter hepatic blood flow in a dose-dependent manner. However, there are only a few studies investigating the effect of the new anaesthetic desflurane on the hepatic blood flow. In particular no information is available about the influence of desflurane on liver microcirculation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of desflurane in comparison to isoflurane and pentobarbital on microcirculation of the liver in vivo using intravital fluorescence microscopy.Materials18 female Sprague-Dawley rats were anaesthetised with pentobarbital sodium, tracheotomised and mechanically ventilated using a rodent ventilator. A midline laparotomy was performed for later intravital microscopy of the liver. At the beginning of the one-hour ventilation period the animals were assigned to one of the following groups: isoflurane 0.75 MAC, desflurane 0.75 MAC and pentobarbital group. Animals of the pentobarbital group received additionally 25 mg/kg pentobarbital intravenously. After 60 min of ventilation and continuous monitoring of the systemic circulation the hepatic microcirculation was investigated by intravital fluorscence microscopy.ResultsMean arterial blood pressure decreased slightly in the isoflurane and the desflurane groups compared to the pentobarbital group. Neither isoflurane nor desflurane did affect the sinusoidal diameters or the sinusoidal blood flow compared to the pentobarbital group.ConclusionHepatic microcirculation is not affected by one-hour anaesthesia with 0.75 MAC isoflurane or desflurane in comparison to pentobarbital.

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