[Cerebral uptake and regional cerebral distribution of propofol under concentration equilibrium condition in the internal carotid artery and internal jugular vein in dogs].

Objective: To investigate the cerebral uptake and regional distribution of propofol when plasma propofol concentration reaches equilibrium in the internal carotid artery and internal jugular vein in dogs.

Methods: Eight male hybrid dogs aged 12-18 months weighing 10-12 kg were anesthetized with propofol at a single bolus (7 mg/kg) in 15 s followed by propofol infusion at a constant rate of 70 mg.kg(-1).h(-1) via the great saphenous vein of the right posterior limb. Blood samples were taken from the internal carotid artery and internal jugular vein at 30 min (T30) after propofol infusion for measurement of plasma propofol concentrations by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The thalamus, epithalamus, metathalamus, hypothalamus, subthalamus, frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, hippocampus, cingulate gyrus, cerebellum, midbrain, pons, medulla oblongata and cervical cord were then dissected to determine propofol concentrations in these tissues by HPLC.

Results: The propofol concentrations in the internal carotid artery and internal jugular vein blood plasma were comparable at T30 (6.16-/+1.02 vs 6.17-/+1.00 microg/ml, P>0.05). The propofol concentration was 6.11-/+1.07 microg/g in the epithalamus, 6.14-/+0.98 microg/g in the metathalamus, 6.12-/+1.02 microg/g in the hypothalamus, 6.15-/+1.00 microg/g in the subthalamus, 6.20-/+1.03 microg/g in the frontal lobe, 6.18-/+1.02 microg/g in the parietal lobe, 6.13-/+1.00 microg/g in the temporal lobe, 6.07-/+0.99 microg/g in the hippocampus, 6.14-/+1.06 microg/g in the cingulate gyrus, 6.15-/+1.00 microg/g in the cerebellum, 6.13-/+1.05 microg/g in the midbrain, 6.18-/+1.01 microg/g in the pons, 6.15-/+0.93 microg/g in the medulla oblongata, and 6.13-/+1.00 microg/g in the cervical cord, showing no significant differences in the distributions (P>0.05). Propofol concentration in the thalamus (8.68-/+0.88 microg/g) was significantly higher than those in the other brain tissues (P<0.05).

Conclusions: At the constant intravenous propofol injection rate of 70 mg.kg(-1).h(-1), plasma propofol concentration reaches equilibrium 30 min after the injection in the internal carotid artery and internal jugular vein with even distribution in the cerebral tissues in dogs, but the thalamus contains high propofol concentration.