Does isoflurane alter mesenteric venous capacitance in the intact rabbit?
Volatile anesthetics act at a number of sites to alter cardiovascular function and the response of the cardiovascular system to barostatic reflexes. We examined the effects of isoflurane on reflex regulation of mesenteric venous capacitance vessels. To determine whether isoflurane alters mesenteric venous capacitance, continuous direct observations of mesenteric vein diameter, intravenous pressure, and mesenteric sympathetic efferent nerve activity (SENA) were made in 31 chloralose-anesthetized New Zealand white rabbits. Simultaneous measurements were obtained for aortic pressure and heart rate. The responses to changes in baroreceptor activation by means of either bilateral carotid occlusion (BCO) or aortic nerve stimulation (ANS) were studied in one group of 18 rabbits, while the response to direct electric activation by means of celiac ganglion stimulation (CGS) was studied in another group of 13 rabbits. In both groups, isoflurane vapor was administered at levels of 0.75% or 1.5%,
