Effects of co-administration of borneol and ketamine on anesthesia parameters in male rats

Introduction: The side-effects and short anesthesia caused by ketamine limit its individual application. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory, sedative and muscle relaxant effects of borneol as an analgesic and anesthetic have promoted its application in Chinese and Japanese medicine. This study examined the effects of co-administration of borneol and ketamine on anesthesia parameters in male rats.Methods: Twenty-four male rats were divided into four groups, and respectively received borneol (Bo), ketamine (K), borneol-ketamine (BoK) and diazepam-ketamine (DK). Parameters recorded included the heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature and pain reflexes (ear, tail and pedal), induction time, duration of surgical anesthesia and walking time.Results: Borneol did not individually induce surgical anesthesia, which was reached faster in group DK than in group BoK. Insignificant differences in duration of surgical anesthesia, walking time and pain reflexes were observed between groups BoK and DK. The heart rate, respiratory rate and body temperature were higher in group BoK than in group DK.Conclusion: The pre-anesthetic and hypnotic effects of borneol were similar to those of diazepam. Further studies are, however, required for determining the exact pharmacological mechanism of borneol.