Experimental study on the mechanism of hepatic injury following halothane anesthesia

Part 1. Halothane metabolism and hepatic injury

Abstract

To determine the relationship between halothane metabolism and hepatic injury following halothane anesthesia, male rats pretreated with phenobarbital for 5 days were fasted for 24 hours, and then exposed to 10% or 100% oxygen, or to 0.7% halothane at 10% or 100% oxygen for 2 hours. In the group of rats exposed to halothane at 10% oxygen, increases of GPT, OCT and free F^- ion in the plasma, a decrease of GSH in hepatocytes, and centrilobular-necrosis in hepatic tissue were seen, but not in the groups of rats exposed to 10% oxygen or halothane at 100% oxygen. Furthermore, hepatic tissue PO₂ in the group of rats exposed to halothane at 10% oxygen decreased to less than 10mmHg. This value has been reported that reductive metabolism of halothane became dominant rather than oxidative metabolism. These results indicated that hepatic injury following halothane anesthesia in rat closely related to the increase in reductive metabolism of halothane.