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Suitability of urethane anesthesia for physiopharmacological investigations in various systems Part 1: General considerations

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Summary

The suitability of urethane anesthesia for physiopharmacological investigations is reviewed. Total dose administered and route of administration are recognized as factors having a great influence on both resting parameters and biological responses to drugs. A peculiar characteristic of urethane is represented by its ability to induce a surgical plane of anesthesia without affecting neurotransmission in various subcortical areas and the peripheral nervous system. This makes urethane a suitable general anesthetic for studying neural function in both central and peripheral nervous systems and accounts for the preservation of a number of reflex responses in urethane-anesthetized animals.

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Maggi, C.A., Meli, A. Suitability of urethane anesthesia for physiopharmacological investigations in various systems Part 1: General considerations. Experientia 42, 109–114 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01952426

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