The dose effect of propofol on cerebrovascular reactivity to carbon dioxide in rabbits.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Propofol has several properties beneficial to intracranial operation such as reduction in cerebral metabolic rate and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in a dose-dependent manner while leaving autoregulation intact. Several studies have demonstrated that the responsiveness of CBF to changes in arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2) is maintained during propofol anesthesia in both humans and animals. These studies showed a significant difference in the CBF-CO2 reactivity slope between awake and propofol anaesthetized groups, but no comparison with different doses of propofol was made. To determine the dose effect of propofol on cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity, we used laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) to detect the changes of CBF during propofol anesthesia. METHODS: Ten rabbits were studied using LDF on the parietal cortex. After surgical preparation, anesthesia was maintained with 66% N2O in O2, morphine 10 mg/kg and pancuronium. Three experimental conditions were studied sequentially with intravenous administration of the following drugs (1) normal saline (control), (2) propofol 20 mg/kg/h i.v., (3) propofol 40 mg/kg/h i.v. Mean arterial pressure, rectal temperature and hematocrit were kept constant. The arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2) was adjusted to three levels during each condition 20-25 mmHg (hypocapnia), 35-40 mmHg (normocapnia) and 45-50 mmHg (hypercapnia). CBF was measured continuously and recorded after the target PaCO2 had been reached. RESULTS: There were no differences among all conditions in mean arterial pressure and heart rate. The changes of CBF as PaCO2 increased at the three different CO2 levels during each of the conditions were significantly different. The slope of CBF-CO2 reactivity among three different propofol doses was not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that cerebral vasomotor responsiveness to CO2 during propofol anesthesia is preserved and that the slope of CBF-CO2 reactivity is independent of propofol doses as mean arterial blood pressure is maintained.