Hello everyone.
I am attempting to do visual cortex imaging in mice anesthetized with halothane, but the survival rate of these mice is quite low, even compared to other mice anesthetized with halothane.
I realized the batch of halothane in my lab is quite old, and I'm trying to find out if it's the reason why the mice are not surviving long enough, or whether it's viable to use. Calling the manufacturing company did not help.
The purpose of anesthesia is to prevent surgical stress. Unfortunately, anesthetic inhalation agents alone cannot abolish surgical stress.
All “hypnotic” drugs and agents exert their beneficial effects by extinguishing consciousness in a dose-related manner. They include beverage alcohol, intravenous barbiturates, benzodiazepines, Propofol, Etomidate, anesthetic inhalation agents, and sedatives taken by mouth. All hypnotic drugs and agents are inherently toxic, especially with prolonged exposure. They are also inherently addictive, because they relieve emotional angst.
The only practical difference between anesthetic inhalation agents and other types of hypnotic agents is that they can be administered via breathing, so that they can be maintained at consistent levels and rid from the body regardless of organ function.
Analgesia inhibits harmful nociception. Narcotic analgesia inhibits nociception pathways in the spinal cord. This reduces requirements for anesthetic inhalation agents in half, which minimizes their toxicity. It also prevents harmful nociception induced by tissue disruption.
Anesthesia extinguishes primary respiratory drive, and narcotics inhibit secondary respiratory drive by obtunding respiratory chemoreceptors that are directly activated by respiratory chemoreceptors. However, if narcotics are introduced gradually they cause carbon dioxide accumulation within the body from constant cellular respiration (the Krebs Cycle). This stimulates the chemoreceptors and counteracts the respiratory depression of the narcotics. Respiratory rate is decreased, but respiratory volume is increased, so minute volume and effective air exchange in the lungs are little affected.
You can also block nociception using local analgesic blocks such as the epidural blocks used by Sielenkamper to demonstrate improved bowel perfusion.
Halothane is chemically unstable compared to newer inhalation agents, especially Isoflurane. It has been abandoned because it causes hepatic damage.
I would suggest that you use Isoforane, and supplement it with either blocks or narcotics to reduce its requirements and toxicity in half.
If I knew more about your research plan, I could provide more specific recommendations.
I suggest that you read the attached paper. Better yet, read my book called “50 Years Lost in Medical Advance: The Discovery of Hans Selye’s Stress Mechanism” that is available via Amazon.
use a lower dose and ensure that breathing is unobstructed; may be better to give them a dose of i.m. ketamine instead of halothane or ip ketamine
It can be kept for 2 year if bottle is unopened and provided bottle is away from heat and Light
Shelf life of Halothane Bottle is approximately 2 year but avoid exposure to Heat and Light
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