Comparison effect of pentobarbital sodium with chloral hydrate anesthesia on post-ischemic damage in an experimental model of focal cerebral ischemia

Introduction: Anesthetic agents, blood pressure, arterial pH and blood gases have found to influence on the pathophysiology of experimental stroke. Despite, there are very few comparative studies about effects of anesthetic agents in animal model of cerebral ischemia. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effects of chloral hydrate and pentobarbital anesthesia, as comparative study, on infarct size and motor neurological dysfunctions and physiological parameters in a transient model of focal cerebral ischemia. Method: Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into chloral hydrate (400 mg/kg ip, n=10) and pentobarbital sodium (60 mg/kg ip, n=14) anesthesia groups. Temporary focal cerebral ischemia was induced by 90 min middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), followed by 23 h reperfusion. Physiologic parameters were measured before and after ischemia. Cortical, striatal infarct volumes and motor dysfunction were determined 24 h after MCAO. Results: Cortical and striatal infarct volume in pentobarbital sodium anesthetized rats were 84±8 and 26±2 mm3 that significantly lower from chloral hydrate group (208±10, 62±2 mm3 respectively, P<0.001). Moreover, neurological motor dysfunction significantly was lower in pentobarbital sodium anesthetized in comparison with chloral hydrate group (P<0.01). Physiologic values were similar between anesthetic groups except mean arterial pressure was significantly greater in the pentobarbital group in comparison with chloral hydrate group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Finding of this study indicated that brain injuries and motor neurological deficits in rat anesthetized with chloral hydrate are higher than from pentobarbital sodium groups in temporary model of focal cerebral ischemia. Thus, the effects of anesthetic agents must be considered in experimental cerebral ischemic studies.