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Anesth Analg 2006;103:443-447
© 2006 International Anesthesia Research Society
doi: 10.1213/01.ane.0000236785.17606.58

OBSTETRIC ANESTHESIA

The Effects of Volatile Anesthetics on Spontaneous Contractility of Isolated Human Pregnant Uterine Muscle: A Comparison Among Sevoflurane, Desflurane, Isoflurane, and Halothane

Kyung Y. Yoo, MD, PhD*, Jun C. Lee, MD*, Myung H. Yoon, MD, PhD*, Min-HO Shin, MD{dagger}, Seok J. Kim, MD*, Yoon H. Kim, MD, PhD{ddagger}, Tae B. Song, MD, PhD{ddagger}, and JongUn Lee, MD, PhD§

From the Departments of *Anesthesiology, {ddagger}Gynecology and Obstetrics, and §Physiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, South Korea; {dagger}Department of Preventive Medicine, Seonam University College of Medicine, Namwon, South Korea.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Kyung Yeon Yoo, MD, Department of Anesthesiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, 5 Hak-dong, Gwangju 501-746, Korea. Address e-mail to kyyoo{at}jnu.ac.kr.

We examined the effects of equianesthetic concentrations of sevoflurane, desflurane, isoflurane, and halothane on the spontaneous contractility of isolated human pregnant uterine muscles. We also determined if their action was related to potassium channels. Uterine specimens were obtained from normal full-term pregnant women undergoing elective lower-segment cesarean delivery. Longitudinal muscle strips were mounted vertically in tissue chambers. Their isometric tension was recorded while they were exposed to 0.5–3 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of volatile anesthetics in the absence and presence of the high conductance calcium-activated potassium channel blocker, tetraethylammonium, or the adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channel (KATP)-blocker, glibenclamide. The anesthetics examined produced a dose-dependent depression of contractility. The inhibitory potency of sevoflurane and desflurane was comparable to, whereas that of isoflurane was smaller than, that of halothane: concentrations causing 50% inhibition of the contractile amplitude (ED50) were 1.72, 1.44, 2.35, and 1.66 MAC (P < 0.05), respectively. Tetraethylammonium and glibenclamide did not affect the uterine response to the anesthetics, except for glibenclamide, which attenuated the response to isoflurane. These results indicate that the volatile anesthetics have inhibitory effects on the contractility of the human uterus. The inhibitory effect of isoflurane may in part be mediated through activation of KATP channels.






Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins Anesthesia & Analgesia® is published for the International Anesthesia Research Society® by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins with the assistance of Stanford University Libraries' HighWire Press®. Copyright 2006 by the International Anesthesia Research Society. Online ISSN: 1526-7598   Print ISSN: 0003-2999 HighWire Press
Copyright © 2006 by the International Anesthesia Research Society.