Anesthesiology
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Malignant hyperthermia (MH, MIM# 145600) is a complex pharmacogenetic disorder that is manifested in predisposed individuals as a potentially lethal reaction to volatile anesthetics and depolarizing muscle relaxants. Studies of CASQ1-null mice have shown that CASQ1, encoding calsequestrin 1, the major Ca2+ binding protein in the lumen of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, is a candidate gene for MH in mice. The aim of this study was to establish whether the CASQ1 gene is associated with MH in the North American population. ⋯ This study revealed a low level of protein coding sequence variability within the human CASQ1 gene, indicating that CASQ1 is not a major MHS locus in the North American population.
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Clinical and preclinical data demonstrate the analgesic actions of adenosine. Central administration of adenosine agonists, however, suppresses arousal and breathing by poorly understood mechanisms. This study tested the two-tailed hypothesis that adenosine A1 receptors in the pontine reticular formation (PRF) of C57BL/6J mice modulate breathing, behavioral arousal, and PRF acetylcholine release. ⋯ Endogenous adenosine acting at adenosine A1 receptors in the PRF modulates breathing, behavioral arousal, and acetylcholine release. The results support the interpretation that an adenosinergic-cholinergic interaction within the PRF comprises one neurochemical mechanism underlying the wakefulness stimulus for breathing.
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The Food and Drug Administration issued a black box warning regarding the use of droperidol and the potential for torsade de pointes. ⋯ Our evidence suggests that low-dose droperidol does not increase the incidence of polymorphic VT or death when used to treat postoperative nausea and vomiting in the surgical population.