Propofol causes a dose-dependent decrease in the thermoregulatory threshold for vasoconstriction but has little effect on sweating

Abstract

Background: Volatile anesthetics increase the core temperature required to trigger sweating and decrease the core temperature required to trigger vasoconstriction. However, little is known about the effects of intravenous anesthetics on thermoregulation. We therefore tested the hypothesis that propofol increases the sweating threshold and decreases the vasoconstriction threshold, thereby increasing the interthreshold range (core temperatures not triggering autonomic thermoregulatory responses). The study was conducted using a new model in which thermal manipulations were restricted to insensate skin, and sensate skin temperature was controlled. Methods: Six healthy, male volunteers were stud..