A quantitative evaluation of stress associated with indwelling superior vena cava cannulae in rats

"Nonrestraining" superior vena cava (SVC) cannulae are commonly used in rat metabolic studies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of stress and metabolic alterations associated with surgical placement and subsequent maintenance and use of an indwelling intravenous cannula as measured by resting energy expenditure (REE), respiratory quotient (RQ), urinary nitrogen excretion, and substrate utilization pattern. Nine rats underwent SVC cannulation and six rats underwent sham operation. Postoperatively, animals were starved for 48 hr and then refed either parenterally or orally for 48 hr. Sham-operated animals adapted appropriately to starvation within 24 hr by decreasing REE 14% and increasing utilization of fat (RQ:0.89----0.78). Hypometabolic adaptation to starvation was delayed in cannulated animals until the second postoperative day, but appropriate alterations in energy substrate utilization were not affected by the presence of cannulae. Cannulae did not affect the metabolic response to oral refeeding with similar increases in REE and similar patterns of substrate utilization in sham-operated and cannulated animals. Animals refed parenterally demonstrated higher REE and apparent fat deposition (RQ greater than 1) consistent with continuous hypercaloric glucose administration. Urinary nitrogen excretion was not affected by the presence of cannulae. Cannula-associated metabolic alterations are minimal and transient and do not preclude detection and quantification of alterations associated with composition or utilization of exogenous substrates.