[Water diuresis during methohexitone anaesthesia. Studies in chronically instrumented dogs (author's transl)]

Seven chronically prepared dogs (electromagnetic flow transducers around the pulmonary and left renal artery, left atrial catheter) maintained on a controlled sodium and water intake were studied. About 20 h after the last intake of food and water, the effects of i.v. methohexitone (initial dose: 6.10 +/- 0.84 mg/kg bw; sustaining infusion: 0.34 +/- 0.10 mg/min.kg bw) on renal excretion of sodium, potassium, urea and water as well as on several haemodynamic values were investigated over a period of 60 min (MP) after a control period (CP) of 60 min in the unanaesthetized state. In 18 of 19 experiments water diuresis (U/Posm less than 1) was observed between 20 and 40 min after starting the administration of methohexitone. Urine volume increased from 44 +/- 21 microliter/min.kg bw (CP) to 104 +/- 62 microliter/min.kg bw (MP).I.v. administration of arginine-vasopressin (ADH) completely abolished water diuresis. During MP, there was a decrease in cardiac output (-11%), stroke volume (-36%) and left atrial pressure (-27%), heart rate increased (+ 43%). Mean arterial blood pressure and renal blood flow did not change. It is assumed-as plasma osmolality did not change-that the central release of antidiuretic hormone is suppressed by methohexitone.