Isoflurane and CO2 anesthetics used in brain tissue collection and electrolytic impacts

ABSTRACT The use of gaseous inhalation agents for animal euthanasia offers rapid action due to easy access to the arterial circulation. The neuroprotective property of postmortem brain tissue collection was investigated using isoflurane and carbon dioxide (CO2) on the serum bioindicators of sodium and potassium. Serum samples were collected from 3 groups of animals (n=8) and donated to this study, previously approved by the Ethics Committee on the Use of Animals (CEUA 173/2020). The serum groups analyzed were named isoflurane, CO2 and cannabidiol (CBD/CO2). The results demonstrated that the three groups had elevated potassium levels compared to the control group (*, p<0.05), indicating hyperkalemia, while no difference was observed in serum sodium. Furthermore, the CO2 and CBD/CO2 groups differed significantly from the isoflurane group (#, p<0.05), which had the highest level of hyperkalemia. These findings contribute to our understanding of the physiological effects of different euthanasia methods on the biochemical profiles of animals. In conclusion, the use of CO2 is recommended as a euthanasia method for collecting brain tissue due to the lowest impact on potassium levels.