The effect of epidural anesthesia on prostaglandin synthesis during alveolar hypoxia
Takeda, S.
Masui. Japanese Journal of Anesthesiology 41(11): 1749-1757
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-4892 PMID: 1460752 Document Number: 395661
The effect of epidural anesthesia on prostaglandin synthesis during alveolar hypoxia was investigated in 20 patients. Group I received intravenous anesthesia and group II received epidural and intravenous anesthesia. Patients in both groups were intubated with a double-lumen endtracheal tube, allowing separate ventilation of the right lung with 5% CO-2, 6% O-2 and 89% N-2 as a hypoxic challenge and the left lung with 100% O-2. In both groups, adequate systemic oxygenation was maintained. Pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance increased significantly in both groups. Cardiac index decreased significantly in group II. Both 6-keto PGF-1-alpha and thromboxane B-2 increased in group I, but only 6-keto PGF-1-alpha increased in group II. Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) stimulated prostaglandin synthesis. 6-keto PGF-1-alpha is the major arachidonic acid metabolite released during HPV. The results suggest that epidural anesthesia does not inhibit HPV, but exerts some effects on thromboxane B-2 synthesis during alveolar hypoxia.