Comparative Effects of Sevoflurane and Desflurane on Erythrocyte Deformability in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats

Aim: It is known that blood viscosity and erythrocyte aggregation are increased and erythrocyte deformability is decreased in diabetic patients. Blood rheology is known to be affected by numerous factor including anaesthetic drugs. Accordingly, we aimed to investigate the effects of sevoflurane and desflurane on erythrocyte deformability in diabetic rats.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was performed upon the approval of Gazi University Experimental Animals Ethics Committee in Gazi University Experimental and Clinical Research Center (GUDAM).
Methodology: In this study, 24 male albino Wistar rats were used.Diabetes was induced by a single IP injection of streptozotocin, at a dose of 55 mg.kg-1 body weight in 18 Wistar Albino rats.72 hours following this injection rats were classified as diabetic if their fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels exceeded 250 mg.dl-1and only animals with FBGs of > 250 mg.dl-1 were included in the diabetic groups. After the effects of chronic diabetes encountered diabetic rats were randomly assigned into diabetic control (group DC), diabetic desflurane (group DD) and diabetic sevoflurane (group DS) groups. Another 6 rats without diabetes were assigned as control group (group C). 4 weeks after the injection of streptozotocin diabetic rats were anaesthetized by desflurane 6% or sevoflurane 2% at a dose by which minimal alveolar concentration (MAC) for rats would be one. The drugs were given for 2 hours within 100% oxygen at a rate of 4 L.min1. After the anesthesia all rats were given ketamine (100 mg.kg-1) intraperitoneally and blood samples were withdrawn from the abdominal aorta and then rats were sacrificed. Erythrocyte samples were obtained from heparinized whole blood samples. Measurements for deformability were conducted on erythrocyte suspensions within serum physiologic tamponized with phosphate.
Results: Diabetes led to increased relative resistance compared to group C however desflurane and sevoflurane did not alter erythrocyte deformability significantly in diabetic rats.
Conclusion: Neither sevoflurane nor desflurane caused a negative effect on erythrocyte deformability in diabetic rats. However these findings should be further investigated in larger and more detailed studies.