# Effect of Tapentadol on Dogs’ Minimum Alveolar Concentration (MAC) of Isoflurane

## TL;DR

This study found that tapentadol slightly reduces the anesthetic requirement in dogs without affecting their cardiovascular health.

## Contribution

The novel finding is that tapentadol reduces isoflurane MAC in dogs without cardiovascular side effects.

## Key findings

- Tapentadol reduced isoflurane MAC by 3.29% in dogs.
- No significant changes in cardiovascular variables were observed.
- The effect of tapentadol on MAC was statistically significant.

## Abstract

In this study, the effect of tapentadol on the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of isoflurane in dogs was evaluated. We observed that at the dose studied, even though there is statistical significance, the MAC only decreased by 3.29%. No changes were observed in the cardiovascular variables recorded.

To evaluate the effect of oral administration of 10 mg kg−1 tapentadol on dogs’ minimum alveolar concentration of isoflurane. The MAC of isoflurane was determined in seven dogs without previous medication (Group MACISO) and 2 h 30 min after the administration of 10 mg kg−1 of tapentadol orally (Group MACISO+TAP). The MAC was determined by pinching the fourth finger of the pelvic limb. Data normality was analyzed using the Shapiro–Wilk test. Student’s t-test was used to evaluate the effect of tapentadol on isoflurane MAC and cardiovascular variables. The minimum alveolar concentration obtained in the Group MACISO was 1.52 ± 0.02%, and in the Group MACISO+TAP, it was 1.47 ± 0.03%, observing a significant statistical difference between groups (p = 0.01). The reduction in the MAC caused by administering 10 mg kg−1 of Tapentadol was 3.29%. No statistically significant differences were observed when the heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure were compared between groups. The oral administration of 10 mg kg−1 tapentadol reduces dogs’ minimum alveolar concentration of isoflurane without alterations in the heart rate and systemic blood pressure.