Methods: Male Japan White rabbits were tracheotomized and anesthetized with sevoflurane under mechanical ventilation. Rabbits received DEX at a rate of 6µg/kg/h for 10min followed by 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6µg/kg/h for 60min. Observed variables were systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), common carotid artery blood flow (CBF), tongue mucosal blood flow (TBF), upper alveolar mucosal blood flow (UBF), lower alveolar mucosal blood flow (LBF), mandibular bone marrow blood flow (BBF) and masseter muscle blood flow (MBF). In this study, data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. One-way analysis of variance for repeated measurements followed by Dunnett test was used.
Results: HR, SBP, CBF, TBF, UBF, LBF, BBF, and MBF showed dose-dependent decreases during DEX infusion. The decreases in UBF, LBF, BBF, and MBF (30-40%) were greater than those in HR, SBP, CBF and TBF (10-20%).
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that infusion of DEX reduces UBF, LBF, BBF, and MBF in a dose-dependent manner without significant reductions in systemic hemodynamic variables during sevoflurane anesthesia.