PREOPERATIVE CIMETIDINE DOES NOT PREVENT SUBCLINICAL HALOTHANE HEPATOTOXICITY IN MAN

To assess the influence of pretreatment with cimetidine on changesin hepatocellular integrity after halothane anaesthesia, 53patients were allocated randomly to receive either cimetidine1600 mg orally or placebo tablets before anaesthesia. Plasmaconcentrations of glutathione S-transferase (GST) were measuredas an index of hepatic damage. Data from 45 patients were availablefor analysis. Plasma GST concentration increased significantly3 h after induction of anaesthesia in both groups (P < 0.01,both groups) and at 6 h in the cimetidine groups (P < 0.05).Pretreatment with cimetidine did not influence the magnitudeof increase in GST concentration. There was no difference betweenthe groups in the frequency of abnormal GST concentrations atany time. Cimetidine does not appear to prevent release of GSTfrom the liver by halothane anaesthesia in man.