OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible cardiovascular and intracranial alterations caused by buprenorphine in dogs, during sevoflurane anesthesia.

MATERIALS

Eight adult healthy male and female mongrel dogs were used. The anesthetic induction was made using propofol (IV), and immediately after, the dogs were intubated and the tube was connected to a volatile anesthetic circuit, and sevoflurane was administrated at 1.5 MAC. During the experimental period, the dogs were maintained under controlled ventilation. After 15 minutes of anesthesia, the dogs received buprenorphine (0.02 mg/kg/IV). Intracranial pressure (ICP); cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP); heart rate (HR); systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure (SAP, DAP, and MAP, respectively); cardiac output (CO); central venous pressure (CVP) and pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) were evaluated. The measurements were realized 20 minutes after induction (M1), 15 minutes after buprenorphine administration (M2); and at each 15 minutes after M2 (M3, M4 and M5). The numerical data were submitted to Tukey test (p<0.05).

RESULTS

The ICP remained constant during the study. There was an increase in the ICP after buprenorphine administration (M2), but it wasn't statistically significant. However, a reduction in the CPP after M2 was noted.

The cardiovascular values HR, SAP, DAP, MAP, CO, and PAP decreased after M2, and remained constant during all the experimental period. We didn't find significant alterations in the CVP values, but an increase was observed after buprenorphine administration.

CONCLUSION

The results allow us to conclude that buprenorphine didn't interfere in the intracranial pressure. However, the reduction of the arterial pressure caused by buprenorphine administration determined a reduction of the cerebral perfusion pressure in dogs anesthetized with sevoflurane.