British journal of anaesthesia
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Opioid peptides released from immunocytes during inflammation and stress in critically ill patients are associated with an altered immune response. Moreover, concentrations of opioid peptides are increased in peripheral blood and at the sites of inflammatory reactions. ⋯ Our data suggest a delta opioid receptor-mediated stimulatory effect on neutrophil function. beta-Endorphin(27-31), the C-terminal fragment of beta-endorphin(1-31), did not alter neutrophil function, indicating that beta-endorphin(1-31) mediates its effect on neutrophils via the N-terminal fragment. This study may contribute to a better understanding of neuroimmune interaction.
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Postanaesthetic hypoxia and ischaemia can lead to postoperative morbidity and mortality. We studied the effect of isoflurane anaesthesia in two inbred mouse strains known for phenotypic differences in breathing pattern and respiratory drive during carbon dioxide challenge and their first-generation offspring (F(1)). ⋯ Isoflurane anaesthesia abolished the strain differences in respiratory drive between B6, C3, and F(1) mice. However, during recovery from anaesthesia, significant strain variation in respiratory drive reappeared and was more pronounced compared with pre-anaesthetic levels. These results suggested, that genetic differences may have minimal contribution to decreased respiratory drive during anaesthesia, but may be a major risk factor for post-operative hypoventilation and the associated morbidity and mortality.