Increased apoptosis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) during general and epidural anaesthesia in dogs.

The objective of the study was to investigate the hypothesis that perioperative lymphocytopenia was due to apoptosis of these cells induced by either halothane or epidural anaesthesia in dogs. The relationship between apoptosis induction and plasma concentrations of the stress hormone cortisol and the cytokines TNF-alpha and IL-10 was examined as well. The study was performed on 22 healthy mongrel dogs, equal numbers from both genders, weighing 18.