Remifentanil Decreases Bone Marrow Blood Flow during Anesthesia in Rabbits

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of remifentanil on the blood flow in rabbit oral tissues during propofol or sevoflurane anesthesia.

Methods: Thirty-two male tracheotomized Japan White rabbits were anesthetized with propofol (group P) or sevoflurane (group S) under mechanical ventilation. Animals were further divided into four groups: ATP treatment in group P (P-ATP), rermifentanil treatment in group P (P-Remi), ATP treatment in group S (S-ATP), and remifentanil treatment in group S (S-Remi). Blood pressure, heart rate (HR), common carotid artery blood flow (CABF), lingual mucosa blood flow (LMBF), and mandibular bone marrow blood flow (BMBF) were measured during each period before and during administration of ATP or remifentanil.

Results: MAP (mean arterial pressure), CABF, LMBF and BMBF decreased in all four groups during the drug administration. LMBF and BMBF decreased similarly in both ATP and Remi groups, although decrease in MAP and CABF shown in percent change was greater in the ATP groups than in the Remi groups. A significant correlation was observed between CABF and BMBF in the S-Remi group. In both the P and S groups, the correlations between MAP and LMBF or BMBF were relatively strong when ATP was administered.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that administration of remifentanil during propofol and sevoflurane anesthesia reduces, as does deliberate hypotension using ATP, BMBF and LMBF without major decrease in MAP.