Thiopental Sodium Anesthesia Following Premedication of Rabbits with Vitamin C

Rabbits are widely used as laboratory animals for experimental surgery. Anesthesia of rabbits may present complications unless the method is easy to apply and safe to use. In present study, effects of different dosages of vitamin C on thiopental sodium induced anesthesia in ۲۵ male New Zealand white rabbits were studied. In the animals that had not received vitamin C treatment before thiopental sodium induced general anesthesia, return mean time of front limb pedal, corneal and ear pinch reflexes were ۶.۴۰ ± ۱.۶۷, ۶.۶۰ ± ۲.۹۶ and ۸.۰۰ ± ۲.۵۸ minutes, respectively. Pre-treatment of rabbits with ۳۰ and ۲۴۰ mg kg-۱ (IV) of vitamin C followed by thiopental sodium ۲۰ mg kg-۱ (IV) resulted in significant (P < ۰.۰۵) increase in front limb pedal reflex return mean time to ۱۳.۰۰ ± ۲.۲۴ and ear pinch to ۱۱.۶۰ ± ۴.۱۶ minutes, respectively. There was also significant (P < ۰.۰۵) decrease in the heart rate following induction of anesthesia in the animals pre-treated with ۳۰ and ۹۰ mg kg-۱ (IV) vitamin C and no change in the animals pre-treated with ۲۴۰ mg kg-۱ (IV) vitamin C. Serum analysis indicated a significant (P < ۰.۰۵) increase in blood glucose. These results suggest that premedication of rabbits with vitamin C despite potentiating of thiopental sodium anesthesia in rabbits is not dose dependent.