Cutaneous Microdialysis in the Rat: Insertion Trauma and Effect of Anaesthesia Studied by Laser Doppler Perfusion Imaging and Histamine Release

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Abstract
Microdialysis makes it feasible to study compounds in the extracellular space of cutaneous tissue in vivo. The insertion of the microdialysis probe causes a trauma, which may be anticipated to influence the microdialysis process. The effect of anaesthesia on basal skin blood flow and the trauma in the skin after insertion of a microdialysis probe were investigated. Hairless rats were anaesthetized either with halothane or pentobarbital sodium. Basal skin blood flow and the effect of insertion of a microdialysis probe were measured by laser Doppler perfusion imaging. Trauma-induced histamine release was investigated. Rats anaesthetized with pentobarbital sodium showed a stable skin perfusion in contrast to rats anaesthetized with halothane. A significant increase in blood flow was seen after insertion of the microdialysis probe in the dermis of rats anaesthetized with pentobarbital sodium, while a change in skin blood flow was not observed in rats anaesthetized with halothane. Probe insertion caused histamine release in rats. A minimum equilibration period of 30 min between probe insertion and the start of the experiment is recommended in future studies, allowing immediate events of the trauma to subside and stabilize.

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