Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2014
Benzodiazepine site agonists differentially alter acetylcholine release in rat amygdala.
Agonist binding at the benzodiazepine site of γ-aminobutric acid type A receptors diminishes anxiety and insomnia by actions in the amygdala. The neurochemical effects of benzodiazepine site agonists remain incompletely understood. Cholinergic neurotransmission modulates amygdala function, and this study tested the hypothesis that benzodiazepine site agonists alter acetylcholine (ACh) release in the amygdala. ⋯ ACh release in the amygdala was decreased by IV delivery of midazolam and eszopiclone. Dialysis delivery directly into the amygdala caused either increased (eszopiclone and diazepam) or likely no significant change (midazolam and zolpidem) in ACh release. These contrasting effects of delivery route on ACh release support the interpretation that systemically administered midazolam and eszopiclone decrease ACh release in the amygdala by acting on neuronal systems outside the amygdala.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2014
Curcumin Treatment Attenuates Pain and Enhances Functional Recovery after Incision.
Acute pain after surgery remains moderate to severe for 20% to 30% of patients despite advancements in the use of opioids, adjuvant drugs, and regional anesthesia. Depending on the type of surgery, 10% to 50% of patients experience persistent pain postoperatively, and there are no established methods for its prevention. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is one of the phenolic constituents of turmeric that has been used in Eastern traditional medicine as an antiseptic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic agent. It may be effective for treating postoperative pain. ⋯ Our studies suggest that curcumin treatment is effective in alleviating incision-induced inflammation, nociceptive sensitization, spontaneous pain, and functional gait abnormalities. Augmented transforming growth factor-β production provides one possible mechanism. These preclinical findings demonstrate curcumin's potential as a preventative strategy in postoperative pain treatment.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2014
Intrathecal Injection of the Peptide Myr-NR2B9c Attenuates Bone Cancer Pain Via Perturbing N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor-PSD-95 Protein Interactions in Mice.
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDARs)-dependent central sensitization plays an important role in cancer pain. Binding of NMDAR subunit 2B (NR2B) by postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95) can couple NMDAR activity to intracellular enzymes, such as neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), facilitate downstream signaling pathways, and modulate NMDAR stability, contributing to synaptic plasticity. In this study, we investigated whether perturbing the specific interaction between spinal NR2B-containing NMDAR and PSD-95, using a peptide-mimetic strategy, could attenuate bone cancer-related pain behaviors. ⋯ Intrathecal administration of Myr-NR2B9c reduced bone cancer pain. Internalization of spinal NR2B and dissociation NR2B-containing NMDARs activation from downstream nNOS signaling may contribute to the analgesic effects of Myr-NR2B9c. This approach may circumvent the negative consequences associated with blocking NMDARs, and may be a novel strategy for the treatment of bone cancer pain.