Fig. 6
No change in mean blood pressure was observed after infusion of dexmedetomidine or the reversal agents. Blood pressure was measured with an inflatable tail cuff measurement system at different times. For these studies a group of 8 rats were used. Each rat received 2 sessions of dexmedetomidine sedation, for a total of 16 sessions. Saline, atipamezole, caffeine and atipamezole & caffeine were tested (4 sessions each) 10 min after dexmedetomidine injection. Blood pressure was measured at the following times: a) while rats were receiving 2% isoflurane. b) immediately after insertion of the I-V in the continued presence of 2% isoflurane. c) 3 min after turning the isoflurane level to 1.1% immediately prior to injecting dexmedetomidine (10 μg/kg). d) 3 min after dexmedetomidine injection with the rats breathing and O2/air mixture (no isoflurane). e) 8 min after dexmedetomidine injection with the rats breathing and O2/air mixture (no isoflurane). A final measurement was made 1 min following injection of either saline, or atipamezole (5 μg/kg), or caffeine (25 mg/kg), or atipamezole (5 μg/kg) & caffeine (25 mg/kg). (n = 4 each). Mean blood pressure values: 2% Isoflurane: 81, 101, 106, 90, 116, 79, 62, 74, 74, 88,109, 104, 88, 70, 98, 112, 96, 2% Isoflurane—After IV: 77, 97, 117, 97, 112, 92, 68, 78, 91, 114, 113, 77, 70, 94, 122, 98, 1.1% Isoflurane: 82, 57, 110, 91, 109, 92, 67, 99, 52, 106, 113, 79, 70, 120, 121, 89, 3 min after dexmedetomidine injection – isoflurane off: 82, 130, 99, 88, 111, 71, 71, 90, 119, 110, 106, 71, 79, 91, 79, 102, 8 min after dexmedetomidine injection – isoflurane off: 76, 120, 89, 84, 104, 76, 69, 85, 104, 104, 94, 74, 69, 88, 89, 93, 1 min after saline injection: 80, 109, 98, 95, 1 min after atipamezole (5 μg/kg) injection: 95, 86, 88, 107, 1 min after caffeine (25 mg/kg) injection: 101, 91, 74, 111, 1 min after atipamezole (5 μg/kg) & caffeine (25 mg/kg) injection: 77, 73, 96, 89