Circulatory, respiratory and acid-base balance changes produced by anesthetics in the rat

The effects of several anesthetics on some cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic responses were studied in the rat. Drugs were given by the intraperitoneal route and observations were made during a period of three hours after the injection of the agent. Results were compared with normal values obtained from unanesthetized animals. The most striking findings were: urethane produced a metabolic acidosis; chloralose increased heart rate, morphine-chloralose mixture produced a sustained hypoxia. None of these agents evoked arrhythmias in the rat. Effects of the anesthesia should be taken into account in the evaluation of drugs in anesthetized rats.