ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of day and night administration of desflurane anaesthesia on melatonin levels in rats.

Twenty-four 15-day-old rats were included in the study and were divided into four groups. The rats were anaesthetised between 19:00–01:00 (night group) and 07:00–13:00 (day group) with 5.7% desflurane concentration in 6 L min−1 100% oxygen. 6 L min−1 oxygen was administered to the control groups. At the end of 6 h of anaesthesia, blood samples were taken, and rats were sacrificed. Blood samples were centrifuged and melatonin levels from plasma samples were measured with radioimmunoassay.

There was a statistically significant difference between the groups (p=0.007). Between group day control and group night control there was a statistically significant difference (p=0.042). Further, there was a significant difference between group day control and night desflurane (p=0.024). We could not find any difference between other groups.

This study showed that 6 hours of 5.7% desflurane anaesthesia during day and night hours did not significantly change melatonin levels.

Keywords: Melatonin, desflurane, rats