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Biomedical subjects

R G Merin

Publications and source records attributed to R G Merin.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Influence of hypertension on MAC of halothane in rats.

This study was designed to assess the relationship between MAC and hypertension. To this purpose, MAC of halothane was determined in fully inbred spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). Because MAC determination was performed in animals whose lungs were mechanically ventilated, the adequacy of the ventilation was initially established in 20 rats equally divided into SHR and WKY, and instrumented with catheters in the abdominal aorta. Subsequently, MAC of halothane was determined in 40 rats equally divided into SHR and WKY, including those instrumented. There were no differences in MAC of halothane between SHR (n = 20) and WKY (n = 20) (1.08 +/- 0.02% vs. 1.11 +/- 0.02%). Subgroup analysis indicated that MAC of halothane was not affected by the presence of an arterial catheter in the abdominal aorta (SHR 1.09 +/- 0.06% vs. 1.08 +/- 0.02%; WKY 1.15 +/- 0.04% vs. 1.08 +/- 0.02%). The authors' data provide experimental evidence that MAC is not affected by either chronic hypertension or limited instrumentation.

Anesthesia, Inhalation↗
PubMed1990

Myocardial protection: what the anesthesiologist does.

The role of the anesthesiologist in myocardial protection is to optimize myocardial oxygen balance during the perioperative period. Nonpharmacological steps that can be taken to achieve this revolve around maintaining a satisfactory hemoglobin concentration and oxyhemoglobin saturation through maximizing ventilation. In addition, alkalosis and hypothermia should be prevented since they cause a left shift of the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve, thus interfering with tissue oxygen delivery. Hypocarbia increases coronary vascular resistance. Blood volume must be adequate with an optimal hemoglobin concentration. Pharmacological measures should also be used, and it is important to continue through the perioperative period any previously administered cardioactive drugs. Furthermore, in the prebypass period, tachycardia may not be controlled by anesthetics; unless the tachycardia is paroxysmal, beta blockers are the drugs of choice. Depending on the cause, diastolic hypotension also needs to be treated either with volume, vasoconstrictors, or inotropes. Likewise, major hypertension can produce increased demand and, again depending on the cause, either anesthetics, vasodilators, beta blockers, or calcium blockers may be useful. Finally, myocardial ischemia without obvious cause probably should be treated with nitroglycerin or calcium blockers. During surgery, the effect of the anesthetic drugs on myocardial oxygen balance is important.

Anesthesia↗
PubMed1990

Basic physiology and pharmacology of cardiovascular function.

Cardiac function is based on the complex biochemistry of cardiac muscle contraction. Contributing factors are action potential, membrane receptors, ion channels and G proteins, the important effectors in the sarcoplasm, particularly calcium ion and protein kinase, and the interaction of the contractile proteins. These are various pharmacological approaches to cardiovascular function by modulating the myocardial biochemistry. These include beta agonists, beta antagonists, mixed adrenergic agonists, nonadrenergic inotropes (including PDE III inhibitors), and nonadrenergic vasodilators.

Cardiac Surgical Procedures↗
PubMed1989

Cardiovascular effects of and interaction between calcium blocking drugs and anesthetics in chronically instrumented dogs: VII. Verapamil and thiopental.

To assess the role of basal anesthesia in the negative inotropic properties of verapamil, the effect of thiopental (30 mg/kg followed by 3.5 mg.kg-1.min-1) on verapamil pharmacokinetics (200 micrograms/kg iv; n = 6) and its pharmacodynamics (3 and 6 micrograms.kg-1.min-1; n = 11) in chronically instrumented dogs was studied. In the presence of thiopental, verapamil pharmacokinetics remained essentially unchanged. In contrast, anesthesia altered verapamil hemodynamic properties. In the conscious animal verapamil infusions increased heart rate (14 +/- 3 and 27 +/- 4 beats/min, respectively), cardiac output (0.22 +/- 0.07 and 0.24 +/- 0.08, l/min, respectively) and PR interval (14 +/- 2 and 25 +/- 6 ms, respectively) and slightly decreased dP/dt (-315 +/- 114 and -419 +/- 106 mmHg/s, respectively). Systemic vascular resistance (SVR) decreased at the low dose (-2.7 +/- 0.7 mmHg.1.min-1), and stroke volume decreased at the high dose (-4.4 +/- 0.6 ml). Yet the presence of thiopental resulted in an accentuation of verapamil-induced tachycardia (27 +/- 7 and 31 +/- 6 beats/min, respectively), and a decrease in stroke volume (-5.3 +/- 2.0 and -6.3 +/- 2.1 ml, respectively). At 3 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 verapamil did not increase PR interval, cardiac output, or vasodilation. Finally, at 6 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 verapamil did not decrease dP/dt and increased renal blood flow (21.8 +/- 6.4 ml/min). These data provide evidence that the negative inotropic properties of verapamil are more pronounced in the presence of thiopental. However, the role of basal anesthesia appears to be limited.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

The isolated heart preparation.

The major advantage of the isolated heart over isolated cardiac muscle for studying the effect of anaesthetics relates to the maintenance of the anatomy and function of the heart as a pump and the use of the native coronary circulation for cardiac nutrition and oxygenation. For the latter function, perhaps the blood perfused heart-lung preparation is more physiological but less controllable, particularly for metabolic studies. However, both preparations are predominantly useful for evaluating mechanisms and comparative biochemical pharmacology, rather than being relevant for clinical management.

Anesthetics↗
PubMed1988

Cardiovascular effects of and interaction between calcium blocking drugs and anesthetics in chronically instrumented dogs. VI. Verapamil and fentanyl-pancuronium.

To assess the interaction between verapamil and fentanyl-pancuronium, dogs were chronically instrumented to measure heart rate; PR interval; aortic, left ventricular, and left atrial pressures; and coronary, carotid, and renal blood flows. The effect of fentanyl citrate infusion on single-dose verapamil pharmacokinetics was examined in six animals. The effects of verapamil infusion (3 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 and 6 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) were examined in the conscious state and during fentanyl infusion plus pancuronium on two separate occasions in nine dogs. In addition, the effects of fentanyl citrate (500 micrograms.kg-1 followed by 1.5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) were examined over 1 h of infusion. Fentanyl infusion did not affect single-dose verapamil pharmacokinetics. In the conscious animals, verapamil increased heart rate and PR interval, and slightly decreased LV dP/dt. Fentanyl combined with pancuronium increased mean arterial pressure and LV dP/dt. During fentanyl infusion, verapamil decreased mean arterial pressure and LV dP/dt, increased PR interval, and did not change heart rate. The hemodynamic effects of fentanyl infusion were steady over 1 h. In contrast to the inhalational anesthetics, which alter verapamil pharmacokinetics and have mainly additive effects with verapamil on left ventricular contractility, cardiac conduction, and regional blood flows, fentanyl-pancuronium had no effect on verapamil pharmacokinetics and minimal effect on verapamil pharmacodynamics in healthy dogs.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Effect of halothane on glucose utilization in the perfused working rat heart.

To define the mechanism of the cardiodepressant action of halothane, we used the perfused working rat heart to study the effects of the anesthetic on glucose utilization and left ventricular function, both in the absence and presence of insulin. Rates of glucose utilization were measured by the appearance of 3HOH in the coronary effluent derived from 2-3H-glucose added to the media. Lactate production was determined by enzymatic methods. Tissue glycogen was measured by enzymatic methods to calculate total glucose available for energy production by the heart. Halothane, up to 2.4% concentration, had a dose dependent depressant effect on oxygen consumption, mechanical performance, and utilization of media glucose. Exogenous insulin did not affect this relation. Glycogen stores decreased in the presence of halothane and control values were not preserved by the presence of insulin. Lactate production was depressed by halothane in the absence of insulin and was unchanged in the presence of insulin. The ratio of glycolysis to oxygen consumption was increased by halothane both in the presence and absence of insulin. This disparate effect on glucose metabolism, compared with function, may be explained by an inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Functional and metabolic effects of bupivacaine and lidocaine in the perfused working rat heart.

The effects of bupivacaine (2.5, 5, 10, and 12.5 mg/L) and lidocaine (12.5, 25, 40, and 50 mg/L), on spontaneous heart rate, mean pressure development, cardiac output, and coronary flow were compared after 15 minutes' exposure in the isolated perfused working rat heart preparation. In addition, myocardial oxygen consumption, glucose utilization, lactate production, tissue content of glycogen, adenine nucleotides, and creatine phosphate content were measured. The relative potency of bupivacaine to lidocaine, calculated from slopes of regression equations, as indicated by the four mechanical variables and oxygen consumption, was 4.59. When the bupivacaine concentration was "normalized" using this value, bupivacaine and lidocaine showed indistinguishable effects on glucose utilization, lactate production, and tissue glycogen. Neither of the local anesthetics had any influence on energy charge or creatine phosphate content.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Cardiovascular effects of and interaction between calcium blocking drugs and anesthetics in chronically instrumented dogs. IV. Chronically administered oral verapamil and halothane, enflurane, and isoflurane.

Dogs were chronically instrumented to measure aortic and left atrial blood pressures, left ventricular maximal rate of tension development (dP/dt), cardiac output, and carotid, coronary and renal blood flows. Measurements were taken with the animals awake and during steady-state low and high concentrations of halothane (1.2%, 2.4%), enflurane (2.4%, 4.0%), and isoflurane (1.6%, 3.0%) with and without at least 2 weeks of oral verapamil, 120 mg, three times per day. Plasma verapamil levels varied widely, with means of 500-700 ng X ml-1 in awake animals and lower (300-400 ng X ml-1) at the time of hemodynamic measurements during anesthesia. Chronic oral verapamil in awake dogs produced predominantly tachycardia. The hemodynamic effects of low-dose halothane and isoflurane before and after oral verapamil were unchanged except for decreased renal blood flow after oral verapamil and no coronary vasodilation nor tachycardia. However, left atrial pressure was increased and cardiac output and coronary blood flow were decreased by low concentrations of enflurane with oral verapamil compared to without. The combination of oral verapamil with low (clinical) doses of enflurane was more depressant to the cardiovascular system of healthy dogs than was the combination of verapamil and halothane or isoflurane.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1987

Cardiovascular effects of and interaction between calcium blocking drugs and anesthetics in chronically instrumented dogs. V. Role of pharmacokinetics and the autonomic nervous system in the interactions between verapamil and inhalational anesthetics.

To assess the role of both pharmacokinetics and the autonomic nervous system in the interaction between inhalational anesthetics and verapamil, dogs were chronically instrumented to measure heart rate, PR interval, dP/dt, cardiac output, and aortic blood pressure. In a first group of seven dogs, studied awake and during halothane (1.2%), enflurane (2.5%), and isoflurane anesthesia (1.6%), verapamil was infused for 30 min in doses calculated to obtain similar plasma concentrations (83 +/- 10, 82 +/- 6, 81 +/- 10, and 77 +/- 9 ng.ml-1, respectively). For the latter purpose, the infusion dose was 3 and 2 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 awake and during anesthesia, respectively, preceded by a loading dose of 200, 150, and 100 micrograms.kg-1, awake, during isoflurane, and halothane and enflurane, respectively. In awake dogs, verapamil induced an increase in heart rate (24 +/- 5 bpm) and PR interval (35 +/- 9 msec) and a decrease in mean arterial pressure (-5 +/- 2 mmHg) and dP/dt (-494 +/- 116 mmHg/s). Although plasma concentrations were similar in awake and in anesthetized dogs, the only statistically significant changes induced by verapamil were an increase in heart rate and a decrease in dP/dt during halothane and enflurane, while left atrial pressure increased only with enflurane. In a second group of six dogs, verapamil pharmacokinetics were determined in the presence and absence of a ganglionic blocking drug (chlorisondamine, 2 mg.kg-1 iv). Blockade of ganglionic transmission resulted in a decrease in both initial volume of distribution and total clearance of verapamil--changes similar to those previously reported with inhalational anesthetics.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Anesthetics↗
PubMed1987

Role of isoflurane on hemodynamic properties and disposition of nicardipine.

Nicardipine properties (30 micrograms/kg i.v.) were studied in a group of eight dogs awake and anesthetized with isoflurane 1.6% end-tidal. Awake, nicardipine produced a decrease in mean arterial pressure (-12 +/- 2 mm Hg) associated with an increase in cardiac output (1.63 +/- 0.2 liters/min), heart rate (75 +/- 9 beats/min), dP/dt (741 +/- 202 mm Hg/sec) and carotid (41 +/- 11 ml/min) and coronary blood flows (39 +/- 6 ml/min). During isoflurane, responses to nicardipine injections were less pronounced except for mean arterial pressure (-19 +/- 2 mm Hg) and reversed for dP/dt (-290 +/- 63 mm Hg/sec). In a second group of six conscious dogs, nicardipine (30 micrograms/kg i.v.) injected after ganglionic blockade (chlorisondamine, 2 mg/kg i.v.) elicited changes similar to those recorded during isoflurane anesthesia, data that demonstrated the importance of isoflurane-induced baroreflex blockade as a mechanism of the pharmacodynamic interactions between nicardipine and isoflurane. Isoflurane reduced nicardipine initial volume of distribution (11.6 +/- 1.2 vs. 8.9 +/- 0.8 liters), total clearance (28.5 +/- 2.9 vs. 19.2 +/- 2.1 liters/hr) and volume of distribution at steady state (50.0 +/- 11.3 vs. 29.2 +/- 3.7 liters, P less than .05). Nicardipine-induced hemodynamic changes were linearly correlated with the drug concentrations in plasma. In the presence of isoflurane, the slopes of these relationships were reduced for all hemodynamic variables except for mean arterial pressure, for which the slope was more pronounced, and dP/dt, for which the slope was reversed. In conclusion, isoflurane alters the drug plasma concentration-effect relationship of nicardipine as a result of both pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic interactions between lidocaine and verapamil.

Lidocaine (3 mg/kg i.v.) injected during steady-state verapamil infusions (3 micrograms/kg i.v.) induced slight and transient hemodynamic changes in nine conscious dogs. Systemic vascular resistance and left ventricular dP/dt decreased by 16% from 41 +/- 4 mm Hg/liter/min and by 20% from 2876 +/- 137 mm Hg/sec, respectively, whereas heart rate and cardiac output increased by 18% from 100 +/- 5 beats/min and by 17% from 2.5 +/- 0.2 liters/min, respectively. Simultaneously, lidocaine induced a transient but more pronounced decrease in verapamil plasma concentration of 48% from 60 +/- 3 ng/ml. This pharmacokinetic interaction was not the result of a lidocaine-induced decrease in the fraction of verapamil bound to plasma protein because in vitro lidocaine failed to displace verapamil from its protein binding site. Moreover, an increase in verapamil total clearance was not the only mechanism because steady-state lidocaine (6 mg/kg over 5 min followed by 60 micrograms/kg/min) in the presence of steady-state verapamil (200 micrograms/kg over 3 min followed by 3 micrograms/kg/min) also resulted in a transient decrease in verapamil plasma concentration from 59 +/- 9 to 23 +/- 2 ng/ml in six conscious dogs. Although verapamil did not affect lidocaine pharmacokinetics, in the presence of the steady-state lidocaine we recorded an increase in verapamil initial volume of distribution of 44% from 40 +/- 4 liters, and intercompartmental clearance increased by 88% from 101 +/- 20 liters/hr, combined with an increase in verapamil total clearance of 47% from 54 +/- 6 liters/hr (n = 6).

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Hepatic dysfunction after isoflurane anesthesia.

Four members of the Anesthetic and Life Support Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug Administration assessed the contribution of isoflurane (Forane) to 45 instances of hepatic dysfunction after isoflurane anesthesia reported to the FDA for 1981-1984. For 29 (64%) of the cases, at least three members concluded that nonanesthetic causes (e.g., hypoxia, sepsis, viral infection) explained the hepatic injury. For 16 cases (36%), two or more members concluded that isoflurane might be one of several possible causes of the hepatic injury. In the latter cases, patients tended to be younger, had undergone anesthesia of shorter duration for operations outside the chest and abdomen, had developed symptoms later, had higher plasma transaminase values but lower bilirubin values, and had a lower incidence of eosinophilia, anemia, transfusions, and congestive heart failure. The committee concluded that current evidence does not indicate a reasonable likelihood of an association between the use of isoflurane and the occurrence of postoperative hepatic dysfunction.

Adolescent↗