Effect of Dexmedetomidine, a Selective and Potent ??2-Agonist, on Cerebral Blood Flow and Oxygen Consumption During Halothane Anesthesia in Dogs

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Abstract
The effect of the .alpha.2-agonist dexmedetomidine on the cerebral blood flow (CBF) and the metabolic rate for oxygen was studied by a sagittal sinus outflow technique in dogs during halothane anesthesia. Dexmedetomidine was given in a dose (10 .mu.g/kg) reported to reduce the anesthetic requirement of halothane by 90%. During 0.9% halothane anesthesia dexmedetomidine caused a significant reduction in CBF without influencing the metabolic rate for oxygen. Reducing the halothane concentration to 0.1% caused no further change in CBF, but increased the metabolic rate for oxygen 19%. The cerebral vasoconstrictive effect, combined with the 90% reduction in MAC for halothane, indicates that dexmedetomidine might be a useful adjunct to inhalation anesthetics during neurosurgery is situations where an increase in CBF should be avoided.