Sevoflurane enhances neuromuscular blockade by increasing the sensitivity of skeletal muscle to neuromuscular blockers.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sevoflurane on skeletal muscle contractility. In the first part, twenty-two American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA I-II) female adult patients undergoing elective hysterectomy surgery inhaled sevoflurane 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 minimum alveolar concentrations (MAC) in succession. Neuromuscular function was assessed at each dose. In the second part, forty-four ASA I-II female adult patients were randomized into four groups: group 1 (propofol + atracurium, sevoflurane 0 MAC), and groups 2 to 4 (atracurium + sevoflurane 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 MAC, respectively). In group 1, patients were anesthetized by propofol. Then 0.01 mg/kg atracurium was injected into the tested arm intravenously after the arterial blood flow was blocked using a tourniquet. For the other 3 groups, patients inhaled 1.0 MAC, 1.5 MAC, or 2.0 MAC of sevoflurane. Then 0.01 mg/kg atracurium was injected. Neuromuscular function was recorded for the 4 groups. Neuromuscular function was assessed by acceleromyography measurement of evoked responses to train-of four (TOF) stimuli (2 Hz for 2 s applied every 12 s) at the adductor pollicis using a TOF-Guard(TM) neuromuscular transmission monitor. Amplitudes of first response (T1) in each TOF sequence and the ratios of fourth TOF response (T4) to the first were similar at 1.0 MAC, 1.5 MAC, and 2.0 MAC sevoflurane. Compared to baseline, there was no significant change in the TOF value after inhaling 1.0 MAC, 1.5 MAC, or 2.0 MAC sevoflurane. Compared to group 1, there was no significant difference in atracurium onset time (time to reach TOF ratio = 0.25) in group 2 ( 5.6 ± 1.8 min vs. 6.5 ± 1.7 min, P>0.05), or degree of adductor pollicis block (subject number with TOF ratio = 0, 5 vs. 2 subjects, p = 0.3). However, inhaling 1.5 or 2.0 MAC sevoflurane decreased atracurium onset time (4.6 ± 1.5 min and 4.0 ± 1.3 min vs. 6.5 ± 1.7 min, P<0.01 and P<0.001, respectively), and enhanced the block degree (9 and 10 vs. 2 subjects, P<0.001) compared with group 1. Sevoflurane has no direct effects on the adductor pollicis contractility, but increased the skeletal muscle sensitivity to atracurium.