GENERAL ANESTHETIC AND OTHER PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF A SOLUBLE STEROID, 21-HYDROXYPREGNANEDIONE SODIUM SUCCINATE

¹ Research Laboratories, Chas. Pfizer & Co., Inc., Brooklyn, New York

Hydroxydione is a soluble steroid which had pronounced central nervous system depressant action in a number of species of animals including mice, rats, rabbits, dogs and monkeys. It could be administered intravenously or orally to induce a state of surgical anesthesia in which the animal could be operated upon without the use of analgesics. The onset of anesthesia was smooth and recovery rapid. The duration of anesthesia varied with the dosage given. Hydroxydione did not appear to cause as much cardiac or respiratory depression as the ultra-short acting thiobarbiturates. It had a very low acute toxicity, resulting in a therapeutic index considerably greater than that of thiopental sodium. The therapeutic indices of hydroxydione by intravenous injection in mice, rats and rabbits are 11.6, 7.8 and 6.3, respectively.

Because of the wide range of safety and minimal respiratory and cardiac depression, hydroxydione has promise of superiority over the ultra-short acting thiobarbiturates for clinical applications in basal or general anesthesia.