Dual One-Way Study of Sepsis Survivability Study in Rats Exposed to Cecal Ligation and Puncture with Propofol or Isoflurane
Abstract BACKGROUNDSeveral studies have also shown that short-term exposure to volatile anesthetic agents (VAA) affects proinflammatory pathways such as the cytokine response and provides a protective effect that improves the outcome of sepsis. In contrast, Propofol has been shown to have no protective effect on sepsis in murine and rat models and may increase morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of longer-term exposure to anesthetics, isoflurane, and Propofol (72 hours).METHODSAnimals were randomized into four groups: Isoflurane during surgery followed by three days of 0.8% isoflurane (and Intralipid IV), Propofol during surgery and 314 ug/kg/hr Propofol for three days, isoflurane during surgery and Intralipid for three days, and Propofol during surgery and Intralipid for three days.After induction via Propofol or isoflurane, animals spontaneously ventilated via nose cone with 100% oxygen. Propofol or Intralipid was administered through a 22 gauge intravenous catheter inserted into the jugular vein. Sepsis was induced in the rats by performing cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) through a paramedian incision into the abdominal cavity. The surgical concentration of isoflurane was kept at 2%, Propofol was maintained at 800 ug/kg/hr maintenance. After the recovery and three days of exposure to Intralipid or anesthetic agents, the rats were allowed to roam free in an adequately vented, temperature and humidity-controlled cage with food and water ad libitum. Survival data were summarized using the Kaplan-Meier curve with Log-Rank test to determine significance.RESULTSLog-Rank test for postoperative anesthetic agent groups showed that rats that received isoflurane for three days survived longer than the 72-hour postoperative Propofol group (P = 0.0002). Within the postoperative, no anesthetic agent (control) group, the group that received isoflurane during surgery survived longer than the Propofol during surgery group (P = 0.0081). Within the postoperative Intralipid groups, the male rats did not perform well with Propofol against isoflurane (P = 0.2599).CONCLUSIONSExposure of rats to isoflurane may prolong survival in CLP as compared to exposure to Propofol. This was true for rats with limited exposure during surgery with no postoperative anesthetics and those receiving intraoperative isoflurane with postoperative isoflurane.