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Updated: Sep 30, 2025
An In Vivo Mouse Model of Total Intravenous Anesthesia During Cancer Resection Surgery
Published on: June 8, 2021
Effect of anaesthesia on cell-mediated immunity in dogs undergoing mastectomy for mammary cancer
Maria Karayannopoulou1, Tilemachos Anagnostou1, Apostolia Margariti2
1Department of Clinical Studies-Companion Animal Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Objective:
To investigate if anaesthesia for canine cancer mastectomy further influences host cell-mediated immunity (CMI) promoting cancer progression.
Study Design:
A randomized, controlled, blinded clinical study.
Animals:
A total of 20 bitches with malignant mammary tumours of clinical stage II or III undergoing the same type of mastectomy (regional mastectomy).
Methods:
Dogs were randomly allocated to one of two anaesthetic groups (10 per group). The anaesthetic protocol of group A used minimally immunosuppressive drugs (tramadol, robenacoxib, propofol), whereas that of group B (control) used more immunosuppressive drugs (morphine, fentanyl, thiopental, isoflurane). For each animal, measurements of white blood cells (WBCs), neutrophils and lymphocytes, and flow cytometric assessment of T cells (CD3+), helper T cells (CD4+), cytotoxic T cells (CD8+) and CD5low+ T cells were performed prior to anaesthesia (day 0) and on days 3 and 10 postsurgery. Data were analysed using a General Linear Model for repeated measures and presented as mean ± standard deviation, p ≤ 0.05.
Results:
In all animals, on day 3, WBCs and neutrophils were significantly increased (p < 0.0005), while flow cytometry revealed significantly decreased relative percentages of T cells (CD3+) (p = 0.003) and their subpopulations CD4+ (p = 0.006), CD8+ (p = 0.029) and CD5low+ (p = 0.031). Specifically, on day 3, the cytotoxic T cells (CD8+) were significantly decreased (p = 0.05) only in group B, whereas the CD4+ (p = 0.006) and CD5low+ (p = 0.008) T cells in group A. The only significant difference between groups was found preoperatively in the CD4+/CD8+ ratio, which was higher in group A (p = 0.006).
Conclusions And Clinical Relevance:
In dogs with mammary cancer undergoing regional mastectomy, a significant decrease in components of CMI was observed on day 3 postsurgery in both anaesthetic groups. Some indication, however, for better preserved cellular immunity by less immunosuppressive anaesthetic/analgesic drugs was detected, rendering their use advisable.
