Effect of nicardipine infusion on the release of glutathione s-transferase following halothane anaesthesia

Abstract

To assess the possible protective effect of calcium channel blockade on hepatic function after halothane anaesthesia. 80 patients were allocated randomly to receive an i. v. infusion of either nicardipine or normal saline. Plasma concentration of glutathione S-transferase B, subunits (GST) was measured as a sensitive index of hepatic damage. Data from 53 patients were analysed. Plasma GST concentration increased significantly at 3 and 6 h after induction of anaesthesia in the placebo group (P<0.01), and at 3 h (P<0.01) and 6 h (P<0.05) in the nicardipine group. The administration of nicardipine resulted in a greater increase in plasma GST concentrations at 3 h than did placebo (P<0.05), mainly because of a greater increase in males than in females. The increase in GST at 3 h was related inversely to plasma concentration of nicardipine both at the end of the exponential infusion (P<0.01) and at 2 h after induction (P<0.05), when males had lower plasma nicardipine concentrations than females (P<0.05). Calcium channel blockade with nicardipine in the dose administered was not shown to reduce liver dysfunction after halothane anaesthesia. © 1989 British Journal of Anaesthesia.