[The neuroendocrine response to Alfatesine or Ethrane anesthesia in humans]

The description of neuro-endocrine effects due to surgical stress and certain anaesthetic products led the authors to look for the action of alfadione and enflurane on the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-thyroidian-adrenal axis. Taking 20 subjects who were divided into three groups of 10, the authors measured the plasma levels of T3, T4, TSH, cortisol and ACTH during anaesthesia with alfadione (without surgery). This was group I. Group II were patients during surgery under alfadione. Group III was during surgery under enflurane. The results show the absence of significant changes in the plasma levels of the hormones measured. The authors conclude that alfadione changes the levels of T3, T4, TSH and cortisol even less than does enflurane, whether the anaesthesia is isolated or in a patient undergoing surgery.