[Liver function in pigs during general anesthesia induced by intravenous administration of chloral hydrate, nembutal,...

The investigations were carried out on 120 healthy pigs, aged from 3 to 7 months, weighing from 40 to 70 kg. The pigs were divided into 5 groups, 12 animals in each;, according to the agents administered intravenously. A similar arrangement of groups was adopted to determine the degree of bromsulphalein retention. Group I served as control. Blood was collected from the anterior vena cava after 1 hour and 1, 3 and 7 days since the moment of administration of physiological solution (group I) or since the appearance of general anaesthesia (groups II-V). The following determinations were made in serum: content of total protein and protein fractions; activity of AspAT, AlAT and ALD; bilirubin and retention of bromsulphalein; content of glucose in blood. The results were analysed statistically by determining the mean, the standard deviation and the test of significance t Student. The investigations resulted in the following conclusions. Anaesthesia produced in healthy pigs by the 4 preparations leads to considerable functional disturbances in the liver, expressed by increased activity of AspAT, AlAt and ALD, decreased albumin content, increased content of gamma globulins, and increased retention of bromsulphalein. The greatest changes were observed after chloral hydrate and Nembutal. After Eunarcon, the changes were fairly high, but of short duration. The slightest and most transient disturbances were found after Brevinarcon. These results make it possible to conclude that the functional disturbances of the liver after general anaesthesia are due to anoxia of this organ. In the present experiment, such disturbances were reversible, i.e. they receded after 7 days.