Summary
Fasting hyperglycaemia occurred in 48 h starved rats after 30 min of anaesthesia with ether or halothane. Plasma insulin increased only with ether. Halothane caused basal hyperglycaemia in fed rats, but decreased plasma insulin by 50%. Intravenous pentobarbitone (30 mg/kg) did not affect blood glucose in starved rats, but decreased plasma insulin with a small rise in blood glucose in fed rats. Following intravenous glucose (0.5 g/kg), hyperglycaemia and impaired glucose tolerance with normal insulin/glucose ratios occurred in starved animals anaesthetised with ether and pentobarbitone. The latter had no effect on glucose tolerance in fed rats. In contrast, halothane caused hyperglycaemia without glucose intolerance in starved animals, but decreased the insulin response by 40% in fed animals. Ketamine (30 mg/ kg) caused only a 15% increase in glucose area in starved rats and was otherwise without effect. Halothane had no significant effect on glucose stimulated insulin secretion in the isolated perfused rat pancreas. — Possible mechanisms for these effects are discussed.
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Aynsley-Green, A., Biebuyck, J.F. & Alberti, K.G.M.M. Anaesthesia and insulin secretion: The effects of diethyl ether, halothane, pentobarbitone sodium and ketamine hydrochloride on intravenous glucose tolerance and insulin secretion in the rat. Diabetologia 9, 274–281 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01221854
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01221854