D.Yu. Akimov1, M.N. Makarova2, S.V. Gushchina3, D.S. Vaganova4, T.V. Kozhevnikova5

1–5 RMS "NPO "HOME OF PHARMACY" (Leningrad region, Vsevolozhsky district, Kuzmolovsky settlement, Russia)

1 Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Institute of Experimental Medicine" (Saint-Petersburg, Russia)

1 akimov.du@doclinika.ru, 2 makarova.mn@doclinika.ru, 3 guschina.sv@doclinika.ru, 4 vaganova.ds@doclinika.ru, 5 kozhevnikova.tv@doclinika.ru

An important aspect of preclinical research is the need to choose the optimal anesthetic to minimize risks and determine the most effective anesthesia regimens. The main recommendations for anesthesia of ferrets are reduced to the requirements to follow protocols similar to those for dogs and cats, without taking into account their specific characteristics. In turn, anesthetics and analgesics can affect the indicators obtained during preclinical studies, therefore it is important to be able to differentiate the effect of drugs for anesthesia from the action of a drug candidate. In this work, a comparison of existing combinations of anesthetics, such as propofol, isoflurane, tramadol, which are often used in veterinary practice, as well as xylazine, tiletamine, zolazepam, was carried out.

The purpose of the work was to study the effect of the combination of propofol and isoflurane, tramadol, propofol and isoflurane drugs in comparison with the combination of xylazine and tiletamine-zolazepam on the basic physiological functions of ferrets.

Propofol was administered intravenously, isoflurane was administered by inhalation, tramadol was administered intramuscularly. The combination of tiletamine – zolazepam and xylazine was administered intramuscularly. Glucose levels during anesthesia were within the reference values (5.0-7.1 mmol/l). It is also noted that no effect on body temperature was observed in any combination, its values were within the normal range. The values of SpO2 in animals on combinations of tramadol, propofol, isoflurane in males and females ranged from 97-100%, on combinations of xylazine, tiletamine - zolazepam 93-96%. The ETCO2 index in the combination of tramadol, propofol, isoflurane in males and females was at the level of 28-29 mmHg. The level of BPD in all combinations was within the reference intervals of 27-50 breaths per minute. The hypotensive effect was exerted by the combination of xylazine, tiletamine-zolazepam ♂ 107/81 mmHg, ♀ 94/57 mmHg. Combinations of propofol, isoflurane, tramadol and propofol, isoflurane did not significantly affect heart rate (propofol,isoflurane ♂ 244 beats/min, ♀ 247 beats/min, tramadol, propofol, isoflurane ♂ 242 beats/min,
♀ 267 beats/min), whereas the combination of xylazine, tiletamine-zolazepam led to a marked decrease in heart rate. Based on the conducted research, it can be argued that both males and females in the groups propofol, isoflurane and propofol, isoflurane, tramadol have similarities in the parameters R-Rmin, R-Rmax, R-Rcf, P, P-R (P-Q), Q-T, Q-Tc, but there is a statistically significant increase in the QRS complex in the tramadol, propofol, isoflurane group in relation to the propofol isoflurane and xylazine, tiletamine-zolazepam groups, which indicates depression of the cardiovascular system

The data obtained can be applied in the field of experimental pharmacology related to the use of laboratory ferrets, and will help differentiate the changes caused by the drug under study from the effects of anesthesia.

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