Alphaxolone-alphadolone anaesthesia in laboratory animals

Abstract

The anaesthetic steroid combination alphaxolone-alphadolone is a well-established short-acting inject-able agent for cats and primates. It can be recommended for intravenous administration to rats, rabbits, neonatal pigs, mice and hamsters. It has limited value in mice and hamsters by the intraperitoneal route, but provides sedation in ferrets and neonatal pigs when injected intramuscularly. It can be given repeatedly or continuously to maintain anaesthesia for long periods without the development of tolerance or cumulation.

An alternative method of endotracheal intubation of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)

“…'Saffan' was recommended as an alternative. 18 Based on the limited data in the present study, 'Alfaxan' would appear to be a suitable replacement, since none of the marmosets were found to have any abnormal muscular swelling or obvious pain at the injection site up to seven days postsurgery.…”

Continuous long-term intravenous infusion in the unrestrained rat—a novel technique

“…Many are not applicable to rats, especially those involving apparatus heavier than 200 g. Cannulation of the lateral tail vein in rats weighing 500-600 g has been achieved while viewing the exposed vein under an operating microscope (Green, Halsey, Precious & Wardley-Smith, 1978). The use of coiled springs has been described previously (Lemmel & Good, 1971;Dalton, Touraine & Wilson, 1969) as have tail attachments (Little, Brecher, Bradley & Rose, 1962;Eve & Robinson, 1963).…”

Metomidate, etomidate and fentanyl as injectable anaesthetic agents in mice

“…As alternatives to these agents we have used fentanyl-diazepam administered ip (Green, 1975), or the steroids alphaxalone-alphadolone intravenously (Green, Halsey, Precious & Wardley-Smith, 1978) Alphaxalonealphadolone produces surgical anaesthesia when administered intravenously (iv), but is too rapidly metabolized for a consistent effect after ip injection so that surgical anaesthesia may b","transient or even fail to develop at all.…”