Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Mar 2008
Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells produce pre-pro-nociceptin/orphanin FQ mRNA.
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) transcribe mRNA for the nonclassical opioid nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) receptor (NOP). We probed for the N/OFQ precursor, pre-pro-N/OFQ (ppN/OFQ). ⋯ These data indicate that PBMCs transcribe ppN/OFQ which, coupled with NOP expression, suggest NOP may be involved in the autoregulation of PBMCs.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Mar 2008
Case ReportsA novel approach for assessing catheter position after ultrasound-guided placement of continuous interscalene block.
The increasing use of ultrasound has allowed anesthesiologists to perform nerve blocks with a high success rate and without nerve stimulation or eliciting a paresthesia. The ability to visualize peripheral nerve catheters using ultrasound is limited. We present a novel method to confirm the position of an interscalene catheter tip using injection of agitated contrast. The described technique is simple and allows timely assessment of catheter tip position.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Mar 2008
Comparative StudyImmobilizing doses of halothane, isoflurane or propofol, do not preferentially depress noxious heat-evoked responses of rat lumbar dorsal horn neurons with ascending projections.
The spinal cord is an important site where volatile anesthetics decrease sensation and produce immobility. Beyond this knowledge, our understanding of a site of anesthetic action is limited. Previous evidence suggests that dorsal horn neurons with ascending projections may be more susceptible to depression by general anesthetics than local spinal interneurons. In this study we evaluated the effects of volatile and injectable general anesthetics on lumbar dorsal horn neurons with and without ascending projections. ⋯ Our findings suggest, at peri-MAC concentrations, these general anesthetics do not preferentially depress lumbar dorsal horn neurons with ascending projections compared to those with no identifiable ascending projections.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Mar 2008
Antithrombin deficiency increases thrombin activity after prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass.
Antithrombin (AT) levels decrease during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), particularly when combined with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA). Low AT levels might lead to imbalance of pro- and anticoagulant factors promoting systemic thrombotic events. We hypothesized that low levels of AT might lead to increased in vitro thrombin generation when procoagulant factors are added to the patient's plasma after CPB. ⋯ Plasma AT activity is severely decreased after CPB with DHCA. Our data suggest that the administration of coagulation factor components without AT repletion may lead to excessive thrombin generation, which clinically, may potentially lead to a hypercoagulable state.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Mar 2008
Comparative StudyThe anesthetic-like effects of diverse compounds on wild-type and mutant gamma-aminobutyric acid type A and glycine receptors.
No theory of inhaled anesthetic action requires volatility of the anesthetic to accomplish the biophysical interaction of anesthetic with biological target. The identification of mutations that attenuate the effect of inhaled anesthetics on various receptors raises the possibility that nonvolatile compounds with anesthetic effects can be identified with the aid of these receptors. In previous studies, we identified compounds that were either charged or had an exceptionally low vapor pressure and which modulated anesthetic-sensitive receptors in a manner similar to inhaled anesthetics. We tested whether these, and another charged compound, shared a common mechanism with volatile anesthetics, by comparing their effect on wild-type gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA(A)) or glycine receptors and mutant receptors that were engineered to be relatively resistant to inhaled anesthetics. ⋯ These findings support the hypothesis that the compounds studied modulate GABA(A) or glycine receptors by a mechanism similar to that of isoflurane and ethanol. Comparing the effect of drugs on anesthetic-sensitive wild-type receptors with relatively less sensitive mutant receptors may help identify compounds with anesthetic effects.