No abstract

Effects of intravenous yohimbine and atipamezole on haemodynamics and electrocardiogram (ECG) were studied after lumbosacral subarachnoid administration of medetomidine in eight goats. All goats received lumbosacral subarachnoid medetomidine at a dosage of 0.01 mg/kg followed by yohimbine (0.25 mg/kg) or atipamezole (0.005 mg/kg) intravenously 45 min after administration of medetomidine, in a randomized crossover design, in right lateral recumbency keeping a gap of 1 week between each trial. Heart rate, respiratory rate, rectal temperature, mean arterial pressure (MAP), mean central venous pressure (MCVP) and ECG were determined. Goats were observed for sedation and urination. All goats showed sedation and depression after medetomidine administration became alert within 2-5 min after reversal. Bradycardia and bradypnoea were the consistent findings after medetomidine injection. Tachycardia and tachypnoea were recorded within 2-5 min after reversal in both groups. A decrease in MAP and an increase in MCVP were seen after medetomidine administration in both groups. Effects of yohimbine and atipamezole on the reversal of MAP and MCVP were more or less the same and statistically non-significant (P > 0.05) in all animals. The ECG changes were non-significant (P > 0.05) in both groups. It is concluded that in the given dose rates both yohimbine (0.25 mg/kg) and atipamezole (0.005 mg/kg) produced equal reversal of the sedation, CNS depression, cardiopulmonary and ECG changes induced by subarachnoid administration of medetomidine in goats indicating that most of the actions of medetomidine were mediated via activation of alpha2-adrenergic receptors.