Abstract
Abstract
The effects of deep barbiturate anesthesia on pulsatile LH secretion were determined in nine ovariectomized macaque monkeys (Macaca nemestrina and Macaca mulatto). To allow each monkey to serve as its own control, gonadotropin secretion was evaluated twice in each one, once while conscious and once while anesthetized. Anesthesia was induced by the injection of 60-120 mg sodium pentobarbital (iv) followed by the continuous infusion (12 hr) of sodium pentobarbital at 15 mg/hr. Blood samples were drawn every 30 min for the duration of the experiment (12 hr). The frequency of LH pulses in conscious monkeys (5.4 ± 0.7 pulses/12 hr) was significantly greater (P < 0.001) than that in anesthetized monkeys (2.8 ± 0.2 pulses/12 hr). Pulse characteristics were also different between the two groups. In conscious monkeys LH pulses peaked in one 30-min sample and then gradually declined over the next two to five samples. In contrast, LH pulses were sustained over two to four 30-min samples and then declined over the next four to six samples in anesthetized monkeys. These results clearly demonstrate that deep barbiturate anesthesia has a pronounced effect on pulsatile LH release in monkeys and suggest that general central nervous system depression has an inhibitory effect on LH secretion.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.