LAUSR

Anesthetics may worsen the outcome of patients undergoing oncologic surgery via immune suppression. This study examines the impact of propofol, ketamine, and alfaxalone on canine peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) cytotoxic function in vitro. PBLs isolated from healthy canine blood were cultured in the presence or absence of alfaxalone, propofol, ketamine, their carrier solutions or dexamethasone as a positive control for 20 h. There was a decrease in cytotoxicity in PBLs exposed to dexamethasone and propofol carrier compared to the control as assessed by means of a chromium-based cytotoxicity assay. The PBLs exposed to propofol carrier also showed lower cytotoxicity compared to propofol. No other significant differences were observed. Therefore, the documented effects of these anesthetics in vivo may be caused by an indirect mechanism. The lipid emulsion's significant decrease in PBL cytotoxicity may have implications for critically ill patients on total parenteral nutrition.