Pharmacology
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Comparative Study
Comparison of the potency of lidocaine and chloroprocaine in sciatic nerve block in Sprague-Dawley rats.
This study investigates the relative potencies and ED(50) of the local anesthetics lidocaine and chloroprocaine in a sciatic block in Sprague-Dawley rats. ⋯ Using the results of this study, the effects of the two drugs can be compared using the commercially available concentrations of chloroprocaine and lidocaine in a peripheral nerve block.
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Post-operative nausea and vomiting are common adverse events that require administration of anti-emetic compounds, such as the serotonin 5-HT(3) receptor antagonists, but these drugs can also reduce the analgesic efficacy of some analgesics (paracetamol, tramadol). ⋯ These results provide a rationale for the clinical use of nefopam with anti-emetics during surgery.
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Numerous agents have been demonstrated to potentiate morphine analgesia, including clonidine (alpha(2)-adrenergic and I(1)-imidazoline receptor agonist) and BMS182874 (endothelin-A, ET(A,) receptor antagonist). ET has been shown to affect pharmacological actions of clonidine. The present study was conducted to determine whether alpha(2)-adrenergic and/or I(1)-imidazoline receptors are involved in the augmentation of morphine and oxycodone analgesia by clonidine and BMS182874. ⋯ This is the first report showing that clonidine and BMS182874 augment oxycodone analgesia. Results suggest that alpha(2)-adrenergic receptors are involved in clonidine-induced, but not in the BMS182874-induced, potentiation of the analgesic effects of morphine or oxycodone, and that I(1)-imidazoline receptors are involved in the potentiation of oxycodone analgesia, but not morphine analgesia, by clonidine and BMS182874.
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DRESS syndrome (drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms) is a hypersensitivity reaction with skin rashes, eosinophilia, fever, lymph node enlargement and internal organ involvement. ⋯ Vancomycin can be a cause of DRESS syndrome. A high index of suspicion is warranted in order not to miss this potentially lethal disease.
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Streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia accompanied by a chronic decrease in the nociceptive threshold is considered a useful model of experimental hyperalgesia. We examined (1) the effect of the opioid receptor agonists and (2) the effect of the magnesium ions (Mg(2+)) on the antinociceptive action of opioid agonists in a diabetic neuropathic pain model. ⋯ However, pretreatment with Mg(2+) at a dose of 40 mg magnesium sulfate/kg i.p. markedly enhanced the analgesic activity of all three investigated opioids. Practical aspects of co-administration of magnesium and opioids in diabetic neuropathy are discussed.