Potentiation of Urethan Anesthesia by Epinephrine

Abstract

Summary

Three strains of mice (CAF₁, C3H and C57 Black) were treated with various dose combinations of urethan and epinephrine. Duration of anesthesia, lethal toxicity and survival time were observed, with the following findings: 1. Epinephrine lethal toxicity was greatest in C57 Black mice and lowest in the CAF₁ strain. 2. In all strains, urethan anesthetic time was greatly prolonged; this effect increased with dose of epinephrine. 3. Urethan reduced lethal toxicity of epinephrine; with increase of dose of epinephrine, reduction of toxicity was less. 4. Urethan anesthetic time was also potentiated by nor-epinephrine; its lethal toxicity was somewhat reduced by urethan. 5. Anesthetic time of phenobarbital sodium and of pentobarbital sodium was slightly potentiated by epinephrine. These agents did not reduce the lethal toxicity of epinephrine.