Correction: Effects of vatinoxan and fentanyl on blood glucose concentrations and diuresis in male Wistar rats sedated with medetomidine and midazolam

Correction: BMC Vet Res 22, 119 (2026)

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-026-05304-2

Following the publication of the original article [1], the authors identified errors in the reported concentration of the vatinoxan formulation and the dosage of vatinoxan used in the experiment.

In the Methods section, the concentration of Zenalpha was incorrectly reported as medetomidine HCl 0.5 mg/mL and vatinoxan HCl 5 mg/mL. The correct concentration of the formulation is medetomidine HCl 0.5 mg/mL and vatinoxan HCl 10 mg/mL, which was used throughout the experiment. Additionally, the Methods section reported the dose of vatinoxan HCl for the MMF group incorreclty as 2.5 mg/kg. The correct dose administered was 5 mg/kg vatinoxan HCl. This error is also present in the legends of Figs. 2 and 3, as well as in the table legends, where the dose of vatinoxan was incorrectly reported as 2.5 mg/kg. The correct dose used consistently across all animals receiving vatinoxan was 5 mg/kg vatinoxan HCl.

All statistical analyses and conclusions presented in the article are based on the correct dose of 5 mg/kg vatinoxan HCl, with no exceptions.

The corrected sections are provided below:

Methods.

Animals were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups (N = 8 per group):

(1) medetomidine hydrochloride (HCl) 0.25 mg/kg (Dorbene 1 mg/ml, Laboratorios Syva S.A, Spain) combined with midazolam HCl 2 mg/kg (Midazolam Hameln 5 mg/ml, Hameln Pharma GmbH, Germany) (MM), (2) MM + vatinoxan HCl 5 mg/kg (medetomidine HCl 0.5 mg/ml and vatinoxan HCl 10 mg/ml, Zenalpha 0.5 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml, Apotek Produktion & Laboratorier AB, Sweden) (MMV), (3) MM + fentanyl citrate 0.01 mg/kg (Fentanyl Hameln 0.05 mg/ml, Hameln Pharma GmbH, Germany) (MMF), or (4) MMF combined with vatinoxan HCl 5 mg/kg (MMVF).

Figures.

Figure 2. Blood glucose concentrations in Wistar rats administered with medetomidine 0.25 mg/kg and midazolam 2 mg/kg (MM) N = 8, MM + vatinoxan 5 mg/kg (MMV) N = 7, MM + fentanyl 0.01 mg/kg (MMF) N = 8 or MMF + vatinoxan 5 mg/kg (MMVF) N = 8. The data is presented as mean ± SD. * Significant difference at P < 0.001 between MM and MMV. † Significant difference at P < 0.001 between MMF and MMFV.

Figure 3. Urine output in Wistar rats administered with medetomidine 0.25 mg/kg and midazolam 2 mg/kg (MM) N = 8, MM + vatinoxan 5 mg/kg (MMV) N = 7, MM + fentanyl 0.01 mg/kg (MMF) N = 8 or MMF + vatinoxan 5 mg/kg (MMVF) N = 8. The data are presented as median and interquartile range (boxes) and minimum–maximum (whiskers). * Significant difference between MM vs. MMV, P = 0.005 and MMF vs. MMFV, P = 0.001).

Supplementary Fig. 1. Mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT) at the time of loss of the righting reflex (LoRR) and until 60 min in Wistar rats administered with medetomidine 0.25 mg/kg and midazolam 2 mg/kg (MM) N = 8, MM + vatinoxan 5 mg/kg (MMV) N = 7, MM + fentanyl 0.01 mg/kg (MMF) N = 8 or MMF + vatinoxan 5 mg/kg (MMVF) N = 8.

Tables.

Table 1. Urine glucose concentration at 75 min post-injection, urine output and body weight decrease from the onset of sedation until 75 min post-injection in Wistar rats administered with Medetomidine 0.25 mg/kg and Midazolam 2 mg/kg (MM) N = 8, MM + vatinoxan 5 mg/kg (MMV) N = 7, MM + fentanyl 0.01 mg/kg (MMF) N = 8 or MMF + vatinoxan 5 mg/kg (MMVF) N = 8. The number of urine samples (N) analyzed for glucose concentrations varied, as urine could not be collected from all rats.

Supplementary Table 1. Onset of sedation in Wistar rats administered with medetomidine 0.25 mg/kg and midazolam 2 mg/kg (MM) N = 8, MM + vatinoxan 5 mg/kg (MMV) N = 7, MM + fentanyl 0.01 mg/kg (MMF) N = 8 or MMF + vatinoxan 5 mg/kg (MMVF) N = 8.