Heart rate variability and heart rate under general anesthesia in rats of both sexes

Abstract

General anesthesia is known to potentiate parasympathetic activity and weaken sympathetic and baroreflex activity [1]. These effects should be avoided as much as possible because it limits a subject's ability to respond to physiological perturbations during surgery [2]. Therefore, the choice of anesthetic is very important and, no less important, is to know to what extent the tone of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is affected under general anesthesia and the potential impact on the cardiovascular system, which is primarily under ANS control.