Halothane Anesthesia Alters Cerebral Enzymes: A Histochemical Study in the Rat

Cerebral forebrain arterioles and neuropil were analyzed histochemically to determine the effects of halothane anesthesia on key enzymes of aerobic and anaerobic metabolism, as well as the hexose monophosphate shunt in rats. Significant changes were noted in all five enzymes examined in arterioles, while no changes were observed in the two enzymes involved in aerobic metabolism in the neuropil. Our data suggest that surgical anesthetic levels of halothane can impair forebrain metabolism and lead to altered electrophysiological responses.