The purpose of this paper is to clarify the effect of halothane anesthesia on hepatic function of dogs.
Three dogs were anesthetized with 2.5% halothane for 3 hours once a week for 3 weeks. Liver biopsy by abdominal incision was carried out before and after anesthesia. Clinical and blood examination were performed before and the 1st, 3rd, and 7th day after anesthesia. Two other dogs were anesthetized with chloroform by the same procedure as a model of anesthetic hepatic dysfunction.
The results obtained were as follows.
Clinical findings: In the halothane group no abnormal changes were observed. In the chloroform group vigor and appetite were reduced for 1 to 3 days after anesthesia.
Blood findings: In both groups erythrocyte count, hematocrit, and hemoglobin decreased gradually. Leukocyte count increased and eosinophyl count decreased temporarily after anesthesia. In the halothone group GOT and GPT were elevated a little after the 1st and 2nd anesthesia. A/G ratio decreased gradually. No distinct changes were shown in cholesterol, blood glucose, BUN, or cholinesterase. In the chloroform group GOT and GPT were elevated remarkably after anesthesia. A gradual reduction was observed in A/G ratio, cholesterol, and cholinesterase.
Histopathologic findings: In the halothane group no remarkable changes were shown. Mild vacuolar degeneration of hepatic cells was noticed in one dog after anesthesia. In the chloroform group fatty changes and hepatic cell necrosis.
From these results it was concluded that no remarkable effect of halothane anesthesia was observed on the hepatic function of dogs, as compared with marked hepatic dysfunc-tion presented after chloroform anesthesia in these studies.
