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Continuous In Vivo Measurement of Hepatic Lipoperoxidation Using Chemiluminescence

Halothane and Chloroform Compared

Received from the Departments of Anesthesia and Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Abstract

Hepatic necrosis, rarely occurring after administration of modern halogenated general anesthetics, has been ascribed to free radical-induced lipoperoxidation. As evaluation of hepatic Chemiluminescence has been shown to provide a noninvasive assay for oxidative radical reactions, we have made continuous in vivo measurements of hepatic light output in the phenobarbital-induced halothane anesthetized rat and compared them with observations made during chloroform anesthesia. Chloroform produced a far more rapid and more profound increase in Chemiluminescence, a phenomenon probably related to depletion of hepatic gluta- thione. These findings are consistent with significant differences in hepatic pathology associated with the two agents.

Key Words: ANESTHETICS, VOLATILE—halothane, chloroform • LIVER, TOXICITY—halothane, chloroform • TOXICITY, HEPATIC—halothane, chloroform