CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM AND INSULIN RELEASE DURING ETHER AND HALOTHANE ANAESTHESIA BY

The effects of diethyl ether and halothane anaesthesia on the arterial blood glucose, redox potential and plasma immunoreactive insulin were investigated in man. During ether anaesthesia the plasma insulin levels increased, while the blood redox potential decreased. During halothane anaesthesia no such changes were found. Metabolic alterations during ether anaesthesia, such as elevation of blood glucose, lactate, pyru-vate, and inorganic phosphorus have been de-scribed in many articles. It is well known that ether stimulates the release of adrenaline which is a potent inhibitor of insulin secretion. There-fore insulin might play an important role in carbo-hydrate metabolism during ether anaesthesia. However, there have been few previous reports concerning this problem. This study was primarily concerned with the changes of the plasma insuli