Anesthesiology
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Intraoperative hypothermia and postoperative pain control are two important clinical challenges in anesthesiology. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 has been implicated both in thermoregulation and pain. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 antagonists were not advanced as analgesics in humans in part due to a side effect of hyperthermia. This study tested the hypothesis that a single, preincision injection of a transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 antagonist could prevent anesthesia-induced hypothermia and decrease the opioid requirement for postsurgical hypersensitivity. ⋯ These studies demonstrate that transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 antagonists prevent anesthesia-induced hypothermia and decrease opioid dose requirements for the reduction of postincisional hypersensitivity in rodents.