Local Anesthetic -Bupiv Acaine Increases the Peritoneal Transport of Solutes. Part I: In Vivo Study

A local anesthetic -bupivacaine was used in concentration 0.25 mmol/l in the dialysis fluid during peritoneal dialysis in rabbits. Bupivacaine increased the mean peritoneal clearance of urea by 33% and of inulin by 53%. The effect of the anesthetic persisted during next exchanges, performed without the drug. Bupivacaine given intraperitoneally, did not decrease blood pressure. Peritoneal dialysis is used widely for treatment of renal failure (1). During the last few years, many attempts have been made to find a substance, which would increase the efficiency of peritoneal dialysis (2, 4). In the past we observed that procaine added to the fluid augments peritoneal solute clearance (5). Local anesthetics in the peritoneal cavity influence both the mesothelium and the vascular system. In the present study we used bupivacaine a long-acting, tissue-bound local anesthetic as the adjunct during peritoneal dialysis in rabbits.