The effect of isoflurane and temperature on the actions of muscle relaxants in rat in vitro.

Hypothermia and isoflurane alone increase the potencies of steroidal muscle relaxants (MRs). We studied the combined influence of isoflurane and hypothermia on MR potency. Phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragm preparations of rats were mounted in modified Krebs' solution and aerated with 5% CO2-95% O2 gas mixture at 37 degrees C and 4% CO2 at 27 degrees C to maintain the CO2 content constant. Phrenic nerves were stimulated with 0.1 Hz supramaximal impulses and elicited tension of the diaphragm was recorded. Isoflurane 1% was added after stabilization of twitch tension and MR was added 60 min later. Twitch tension was reduced by 20% +/- 2.5% at 37 degrees C and 3.5% +/- 0.7% at 27 degrees C from control with only isoflurane. The IC50 (inhibitory concentration, 50%) values of the MRs decreased significantly (P < 0.05) with isoflurane at both temperatures. The ratios of the IC50 values without and with isoflurane of the benzylisoquinolinium MRs were significantly more at both temperatures (P < 0.05) indicating the enhancement of potentiation of their action by isoflurane over steroidal MRs. When the soluble concentration of isoflurane at 27 degrees C was kept similar to that of at 37 degrees C, the ratios of all the MRs were reduced significantly from the ratios at 37 degrees C, indicating a reduction of potentiation. When the partial pressure of isoflurane was kept constant at 37 degrees C and 27 degrees C, the potentiating action of the MRs by isoflurane was similar. But when the partial pressure was decreased to keep the concentration of isoflurane constant, the potentiation was reduced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)