Halothane does have protective properties in the isolated ischemic rat heart.

To determine whether halothane has protective effects on the ischemic heart, the influence of various concentrations (0.5%-1.5%) of halothane on metabolic and functional recovery during reperfusion after 60-min hypothermic (20 degrees C) and 40-min normothermic cardioplegic arrest was determined in the isolated rat heart. Halothane was administered either before and after arrest or intermittently during arrest. Hearts not receiving halothane demonstrated a reduction in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content from a control value of 20.35 +/- 1.66 mumol/g dry wt (mean +/- SEM) (before arrest) to 9.34 +/- 1.12 mumol/g dry wt at the end of arrest (P less than 0.001). The myocardial ATP content, when measured 20 min after arrest and during reperfusion, remained decreased (9.57 +/- 0.62 mumol/g dry wt). Under these experimental conditions, aortic flow was reduced from 43.62 +/- 2.40 mL/min before arrest to 1.80 +/- 1.80 mL/min 20 min after arrest and during reperfusion (P less than 0.001). The administration of adrenaline after 20 min of reperfusion resulted in partial recovery to 22.01 +/- 8.36 mL/min. Administration of halothane (0.5%) before the cardioplegic period was associated with a reduction of ATP at the end of the normothermic arrest (4.02 +/- 0.38 mumol/g dry wt; P less than 0.01), but the ATP increased significantly (13.45 +/- 0.32 mumol/g dry wt) when measured after the arrest and after 20 min of reperfusion and stimulation with adrenaline.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)