Anesthesiology
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Hydrochloric acid aspiration increases pulmonary microvascular permeability. The authors tested the hypothesis that partial liquid ventilation has a beneficial effect on filtration coefficients in acute acid-induced lung injury. ⋯ In the acute phase after acid injury, partial liquid ventilation reduced pathologic fluid filtration. This effect started immediately after bronchial perfluorocarbon instillation and was not associated with changes in mean pulmonary artery, capillary, or airway pressures. The authors suggest that in the early phase of acid injury, reduction of fluid filtration contributes to the beneficial effects of partial liquid ventilation on gas exchange and lung mechanics.
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The mechanism of volatile anesthetic (VA) action is unknown. Inhibitory receptors for the neurotransmitters gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or glycine are typically positively modulated by VAs and may be important targets for their action. The existence of a GABA receptor subtype (p), which is uniquely inhibited by VAs, suggested a chimeric receptor approach to identify portions of these proteins that may be necessary for anesthetic effects. ⋯ These data show, for the first time, functional divergence of VA action on a single protein target. The VAs in this study fall into two distinct groups with respect to their effects on these receptors. This grouping parallels the chemistry of these compounds. Our results support the involvement of multiple protein domains in the mechanism of VA modulation of GABA and glycine receptors.
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This study investigates two new kappa-agonist tetrapeptides, FE 200665 and FE 200666, with high peripheral selectivity as a result of poor central nervous system penetration. ⋯ FE 200665 is a peripherally selective kappa-agonist with potent analgesic and antiinflammatory properties that may lead to improved analgesic-antiinflammatory therapy compared with centrally acting opioids or standard nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs.
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Because protamine is administered to reverse heparin, a drug that might itself affect the pharmacologic properties of protamine, this study was designed to assess the properties of protamine alone and in the presence of heparin in conscious dogs. ⋯ The presence of heparin accentuated the decrease in cardiac function induced by protamine as well as its effects on regional circulation. The data provide evidence that the nitric oxide pathway is involved in the systemic and selective regional heparin-protamine-mediated vasodilatation in conscious dogs.