Halothane relaxes preconstricted small and medium isolated porcine coronary artery segments more than isoflurane.

To compare the putative vasodilatory effects of isoflurane versus halothane on porcine coronary arteries, we studied the capacity of isoflurane and halothane to relax K(+)-constricted (30 mM) small (0.5-1.0 mm outside diameter [OD]) and medium (1.0-1.5 mm OD) porcine coronary arteries with use of in vitro tension recording. We also examined the effect of the dihydropyridine calcium channel agonist BAY K8644 on previously constricted epicardial porcine coronary artery segments in the presence of halothane or isoflurane. Our purpose was to determine (a) whether anesthetic effect on coronary arteries varied with arterial diameter, and (b) whether halothane and isoflurane inhibited BAY K8644-induced contraction of coronary vessels. Small and medium porcine coronary artery segments were constricted with K+ (30 mM) and the resulting contraction was allowed to stabilize. This was followed by exposure to 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0%, and 3.0% isoflurane or halothane and the resultant tension was again measured. Potassium-induced contractions were significantly relaxed by halothane in small coronary artery segments at 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0%, and 3.0% and in medium coronary artery segments at 1.0%, 2.0%, and 3.0%. Potassium-induced contractions were significantly reduced by isoflurane only at 3.0% in both small and medium coronary artery segments. Halothane caused significantly more relaxation of both small and medium porcine coronary arteries previously constricted with K+ (30 mM) than did isoflurane. There were no significant differences in coronary artery response to isoflurane or halothane with respect to coronary artery diameter. These experiments indicate that in porcine coronary arteries greater than 0.5 mm OD, studied in vitro after K(+)-induced contraction, isoflurane was not a potent coronary vasodilator.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)