Abstract
Thiopentone anaesthesia in dogs and rats was accompanied by a sharp fall in blood non-esterified fatty acids and a small increase in blood sugar. No pronounced changes in the blood concentrations of cholesterol, phospholipids or fatty acid esters were observed. Ether anaesthesia had no effect on the blood non-esterified fatty acids in rats. The fall in non-esterified fatty acids during thiopentone anaesthesia is therefore not related to the state of anaesthesia itself.