BACKGROUND Preclinical studies demonstrate increased neuroapoptosis after general anesthesia in early life. Neuraxial techniques may minimize potential risks, but there has been no systematic evaluation of spinal analgesic safety in developmental models. We aimed to validate a preclinical model for evaluating dose-dependent efficacy, spinal cord toxicity, and long-term function after intratheca...

BACKGROUND The authors evaluated the effect of intrathecal mixture of ginsenosides with neostigmine on formalin-induced nociception and made further clear the role of the spinal muscarinic (M) receptors on the activity of ginsenosides. METHODS A catheter was located in the intrathecal space of male Sprague-Dawley rats. Pain was evoked by injection of formalin solution (5%, 50 µl) to the hindp...

The role of estrogen in central autonomic nuclei was examined in ovariectomized female Sprague-Dawley rats supplemented daily for 7 days with either estrogen (5 microg/kg; sc) or saline (0.9%; sc). Animals were subsequently anaesthetized with sodium thiobutabarbital (Inactin; 100 mg/kg; ip) and instrumented to record blood pressure and heart rate. Efferent vagal parasympathetic (VPNA) and renal...

Background: Anticholinesterases increase the concentration of acetylcholine at the postsynaptic sites which cause prolonged analgesia. Aims Objectives: To evaluate and compare the effects of intrathecal neostigmine and intrathecal fentanyl on post-operative pain relief. Materials and Methods: After informed consent, 60 female patients of age between 40 and 60 years, belonging to ASA Grades 1 an...

BACKGROUND The analgesic mechanisms of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors have been explained mainly on the basis of the inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis. However, several lines of evidence suggest that their analgesic effects are mediated through serotonergic or adrenergic transmissions. We investigated the roles of these neurotransmitters in the antinociception of a selective COX-2 inh...

BACKGROUND Intrathecal opioid administration has been used widely in patients suffering from severe cancer pain that is not managed with conventional modalities. However, the potential serious neurological complications from the procedure and the side effects of intrathecal opioids have made many clinicians reluctant to employ continuous intrathecal analgesia as a first-line therapeutic option ...

Intrathecal application of high doses of NO-donor compounds in the anaesthetised rat was not found to cause any induction of c-fos in spinal neurones. Furthermore, intrathecal injection of a NO-synthase (NOS) blocking drug did not alter the numbers of c-fos positive neurones induced by noxious stimulation. Additionally very little colocalization between NOS and c-fos following noxious stimulati...

The intravenous administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine (GD) is relatively safe and rarely causes systemic toxicity in the course of routine imaging studies. However, the general safety of intrathecal GD has not been established. We report a very rare case of an overdose intrathecal GD injection presenting with neurotoxic manifestations, including a decreased level of consciousness, global ...

BACKGROUND Systemic ketamine can trigger apoptosis in the brain of rodents and primates during susceptible developmental periods. Clinically, spinally administered ketamine may improve the duration or quality of analgesia in children. Ketamine-induced spinal cord toxicity has been reported in adult animals but has not been systematically studied in early development. METHODS In anesthetized r...

BACKGROUND fentanyl has been shown to be an effective analgesic for labor; this study investigated the analgesic effect of low-dose bpivacaine added to intrathecal fentanyl for labor analgesia METHODS Ninety parturients in active labor who requested regional analgesia were randomized to receive an intrathecal injection of either fentanyl, 25 microg; bupivacaine, 1.25 mg, with fentanyl, 25 mic...