Objective: 

Dexmedetomidine is an anesthetic agent frequently used for sedation in intensive care units, and during general anesthesia. The purpose of our study was to investigate whether vitamin C prevents the effect of high dose dexmedetomidine on erythrocyte deformability in rats.

Methods: 

The study was performed on 21 male rats, with 7 rats in each study groups and control group. The rats in the study groups were treated with intraperitoneal dexmedetomidine (10 mg.kg-1) and intraperitoneal dexmedetomidine plus Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) (100 mg.kg-1 ascorbic acid administered 1 hour before administration of 10 mg.kg-1 dexmedetomidine), respectively. Intraperitoneal physiological saline was administered in the control group. Erythrocyte packs were prepared using heparinized total blood samples. Deformability measurements were done by erythrocyte suspensions in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) buffer. A constant flow filtrometer system was used to measure erythrocyte deformability, and the relative resistance was calculated.

Results: 

Erythrocyte deformability was significantly higher in dexmedetomidine group than in control and vitamin C plus dexmedetomidine groups (p=0.003, p=0.013, respectively). Erythrocyte deformability indexes were found similar control group and vitamin C plus dexmedetomidine group (p=0.383)

Conclusions: 

High dose dexmedetomidine may cause functional deterioration in blood flow and tissue perfusion with negative effects in erythrocyte deformability. Vitamin C supplementation seems to reverse those negative effects and variations in erythrocyte deformability. However, our preliminary results should be confirmed in wider serious of experimental and clinical trials.