Comparison of responses of helical strips of artery from anesthetized and untreated rats

A comparison was made of the responses of helical strips of rat ventral tail artery from rats killed by cervical dislocation and rats subjected to poly-drug anesthesia. Anesthetized rats were premedicated with meperidine and atropine. Anesthesia was induced with thiopental and maintained with N2O. The animals were paralyzed with pancuronium and ventilated for 1 h. A mixture of fentanyl and droperidol was administered during anesthesia. Responses of arterial strips from these rats to norepinephrine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, vasopressin, and transmural electrical stimulation were identical with those of similar strips from control rats. Poly-drug anesthesia does not alter responses of isolated strips subsequently studied in vitro.