Renal Effects and Metabolism of Sevoflurane in Fischer 344 Rats

Abstract

Sevoflurane, 1.4 per cent (MAC), was administered to groups of Fischer 344 rats for 10 hours, 4 hours, or 1 hour; additional rats received 0.5 per cent methoxyflurane for 3 hours or 1 hour. Urinary inorganic fluoride excretion of sevoflurane in vivo was a third to a fourth that of methoxyflurane. However, using hepatic microsomes, sevoflurane and methoxyflurane were defluorinated in vitro at essentially the same rate. The discrepancy between defluorination of sevoflurane and methoxyflurane in vivo and in vitro was probably due to differences in tissue solubility between the drugs. There were no renal functional or morphologic defects following sevoflurane administration. An unexplained adverse effect was significant weight loss, which occurred following all exposures to sevoflurane.