Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2008
Comparative StudyThe antinociceptive effects of anticonvulsants in a mouse visceral pain model.
There is evidence supporting the antinociceptive effects of carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, gabapentin, and topiramate in various models of neuropathic pain as well as inflammatory somatic pain. Data are lacking on the antinociceptive potential of these drugs against visceral pain. In this study, we examined and compared the effects of carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, gabapentin, and topiramate in the writhing test as a visceral pain model in the mouse. In addition, the influence of these anticonvulsants on motor performance was examined to compare the tolerability of these anticonvulsants when used against acute visceral pain. ⋯ These results indicate that oxcarbazepine, gabapentin, and topiramate are effective in the writhing model in mice, in a dose range, which is not related to motor impairment; topiramate is the most potent and the most tolerable drug.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2008
Cone beam computed tomography: an innovative tool for airway assessment.
Improvements in airway imaging technology provide the potential for an improved understanding of airway pathology and upper airway mechanics. We present here a preliminary report on the applicability of cone beam computed tomography technology in conjunction with multidimensional digital analysis for the purposes of clinical airway management. The use of this technology for airway imaging in anesthesiology has not been reported. ⋯ Three-dimensional image reconstructions as well as "virtual laryngoscopy" were achieved with resulting excellent image quality, suggesting a broad range of possibilities for upper airway examination and analysis. A modified Muller test with volumetric rendering of the airway passages under baseline and negative pressure conditions was also performed, made possible as a result of the system's short (9 s) scanning times. We believe that cone beam computed tomography technology offers an additional dimension to airway evaluation that has considerable potential.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2008
Subanesthetic doses of propofol induce neuroapoptosis in the infant mouse brain.
Drugs that block N-methyl-d-aspartate glutamate receptors or that promote gamma-aminobutyric acid type A inhibition trigger neuroapoptosis in the developing rodent brain. Propofol reportedly interacts with both gamma-aminobutyric acid type A and N-methyl-d-aspartate glutamate receptors, but has not been adequately evaluated for its ability to induce developmental neuroapoptosis. ⋯ We then administered graduated doses of propofol (25-300 mg/kg i.p.) and found that doses >or=50 mg/kg induce a significant neuroapoptosis response. We conclude that propofol induces neuroapoptosis at 1/4 the dose required for surgical anesthesia.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2008
General anesthetics induce apoptotic neurodegeneration in the neonatal rat spinal cord.
Exposure to anesthetics triggers apoptotic neurodegeneration in the neonatal rat brain; whether neuronal apoptosis also occurs in the spinal cord, a crucial target for analgesic and anesthetic drugs, is unknown. ⋯ Anesthesia induces apoptosis in the neonatal rat spinal cord; however, the functional consequences of this injury, if any, remain obscure. Neither motor nor nociceptive responses were affected by anesthetic treatment. Nonetheless, further investigation is required as regional anesthetic techniques may also trigger neuroapoptosis in the spinal cord with unknown potency.