The effects of sevoflurane, halothane, enflurane, and isoflurane on hepatic blood flow and oxygenation in chronically instrumented greyhound dogs.

Inhalational anesthetics produce differential effects on hepatic blood flow and oxygenation that may impact hepatocellular function and drug clearance. In this investigation, the effects of sevoflurane on hepatic blood flow and oxygenation were compared with those of enflurane, halothane, and isoflurane in ten chronically instrumented greyhound dogs. Each dog randomly received enflurane, halothane, isoflurane, and sevoflurane, each at 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 MAC concentrations. Mean arterial blood pressure and cardiac output decreased in a dose-dependent fashion during all four anesthetics studied. Heart rate increased compared to control during enflurane, isoflurane, and sevoflurane anesthesia and did not change during halothane anesthesia. Hepatic arterial blood flow and portal venous blood flow were measured by chronically implanted electromagnetic flow probes. Hepatic O2 delivery and consumption were calculated after hepatic arterial, portal venous, and hepatic venous blood gas analysis. Hepatic arterial blood flow was maintained with sevoflurane and isoflurane. Halothane and enflurane reduced hepatic arterial blood flow during all anesthetic levels compared to control (P less than 0.05), with marked reductions occurring with 1.5 and 2.0 MAC halothane concomitant with an increase in hepatic arterial vascular resistance. Portal venous blood flow was reduced with isoflurane and sevoflurane at 1.5 and 2.0 MAC. A somewhat greater reduction in portal venous blood flow occurred during 2.0 MAC sevoflurane (P less than 0.05 compared to control and 1.0 MAC values for sevoflurane). Enflurane reduced portal venous blood flow at 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 MAC compared to control. Halothane produced the greatest reduction in portal venous blood flow (P less than 0.05 compared to sevoflurane).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)