Effect of acute experimental liver dysfunction on the pharmacodynamics of heptabarbital in rats

A. Hoffman*, M. Baluom

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate whether the pharmacodynamics of a lipophilic barbiturate, heptabarbital, is altered by liver dysfunction. Heptabarbital was slowly infused i.v., to rats with liver necrosis induced by carbon‐tetrachloride, until the rats lost their righting reflex. The concentrations of the drug in serum, brain and CSF were determined in both the diseased animals and solvent‐treated controls. Although the concentrations of heptabarbital in the CSF, serum and brain were not significantly different between controls and diseased rats, the total heptabarbital dose required to induce sleep was markedly lower in the diseased animals. Accordingly, the pharmacodynamics of heptabarbital is unaffected in experimental liver dysfunction in rats.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)102-104
Number of pages3
JournalActa Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
Volume37
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1993

Keywords

  • Barbiturates
  • carbon tetrachloride
  • hepatic failure
  • heptabarbital
  • pharmacodynamics

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