Relaxant effect of propofol on the airway in dogs

Propofol has been suggested to produce airway relaxant effects in vivo, although the mechanism is unclear. We have evaluated the bronchodilating effect of propofol using a direct visualization method with a superfine fibreoptic bronchoscope. We studied 21 mongrel dogs anaesthetized with pentobarbital 30 mg kg-1 i.v. and pancuronium 0.2 mg kg-1 h-1. The animals were allocated randomly to one of three groups (n = 7 in each): propofol group, atropine-propofol group and histamine-propofol group. The trachea was intubated using a tracheal tube that had a second lumen for insertion of the bronchoscope to monitor continuously bronchial cross-sectional area (BCA). BCA was measured using the NIH Image program. In the propofol group, dogs were given the following doses of propofol at 10-min intervals: 0 (saline), 0.2, 2.0 and 20 mg kg-1 i.v. In the atropine-propofol group, saline, atropine 0.2 mg kg-1 and propofol 20 mg kg-1 were given at 10-min intervals. In the histamine-propofol group, bronchoconstriction was elicited with histamine 10 micrograms kg-1 and 500 micrograms kg-1 h-1 until the end of the experiment. Thirty minutes after the start of infusion of histamine, propofol (0, 0.2, 2.0 and 20 mg kg-1) was administered. Changes in BCA were expressed as percentage of basal area. Histamine decreased BCA by 39.2 (SEM 5.4%). Propofol increased significantly basal and histamine-decreased BCA in a dose-dependent manner by 18.4 (4.5%) and 15.8 (4.9%), respectively after 20 mg kg-1 i.v. However, propofol following atropine i.v. did not increase BCA (129.9 (8.2)% after atropine vs 125.7 (8.9)% after propofol). Therefore, the relaxant effect of propofol may be a result of reduction in vagal tone.