OBSERVATIONS ON THE CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM DURING PROLONGED PENTOTHAL ANESTHESIA IN DOGS

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Abstract
The work reported was done on approx. 45 dogs. Following the initial dose which immediately placed the animal in surgical anesthesia, the anesthetic was administered every 1/2 hr. until after the 3d hr.; these supplemental doses were sufficient to maintain surgical anesthesia at least 1 hr. longer, usually 2-4 hrs. When an expt. was performed in the afternoon, animals were markedly depressed and still sleeping but not completely anesthetized the next morning. Under prolonged anesthesia, the normal glycogenic-glycogenolytic activity of the liver is interrupted; livers of fasted animals do not polymerize glucose under prolonged pentothal anesthesia, and liver glycogen in fed animals is markedly decreased; as judged by functional tests, the liver is severely taxed. This raises the question as to the "protective" effect of glucose admns. during prolonged pentothal anesthesia.