Abstract
We analysed the effect of intraperitoneal insufflated ozonized oxygen on the anaesthetic strength generated by tribromoethanol, ketamine/xylazine, chloral hydrate, pentobarbital, and urethane in male Wistar rats. High dosages of anaesthetic drugs normally used for deep surgical anaesthesia were injected. The ozonized oxygen gas mixture was given five times daily on five consecutive days at 0.8 mg ozone/kg body weight before anaesthesia. The reflexes were measured 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240 min after injection of the anaesthetic drug. The sleeping time and the loss and regain of six different reflexes on noxious and non-aversive stimuli were recorded during the 4 h of observation. O3/O2–pneumoperitoneum (O3/O2–PP) reduced the sleeping time induced by tribromoethanol and ketamine/xylazine and increased it for chloral hydrate and pentobarbital. In accordance to the changes in the duration of anaesthesia, the O3/O2–PP induced significant changes in the loss of different reflexes. Additionally, the modulatory effect of the anaesthetic drugs on splenic cytokine mRNA expression was further influenced by O3/O2–PP. Thus, the influence of an oxidative stressor on anaesthetic potency and on the resting immune system has to be taken into account for experimental designs in which surgical anaesthesia is necessary for small laboratory animals.