VALIDATION OF INDIRECT SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENT IN ETHER ANAESTHETISED RATS

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Abstract
1 Systolic blood pressures and plasma catecholamine concentrations were determined in conscious and ether‐anaesthetised male spontaneously hypertensive (SHR), Wistar‐Kyoto normotensive (WKY/N), Wistar (W) and Sprague‐Dawley (SD) rats. 2 When compared to conscious animals, plasma noradrenaline concentrations were significantly higher in all four strains of ether‐anaesthetised rats. 3 Only the SHR rats did not show an elevation in plasma adrenaline concentration when anaesthetised with ether. 4 A good correlation was obtained between systolic blood pressures measured indirectly, using a tailcuff method with two different sensors, in ether‐anaesthetised rats and pressures measured directly, via an indwelling carotid catheter, in conscious unrestrained animals. 5 It is concluded that, while ether anaesthesia elevates plasma catecholamine concentrations in rats, the increase in plasma catecholamines has little, if any, effect on indirect systolic blood pressure measurements.