Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Mar 2015
ReviewHeart failure in pregnant women: is it peripartum cardiomyopathy?
Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare but important cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. Women with peripartum cardiomyopathy often present with symptoms and signs of heart failure. The diagnosis of peripartum cardiomyopathy is made after all other causes of heart failure are excluded. Emphasis is on the immediate recognition of an unwell pregnant or recently pregnant woman, early diagnosis with the use of echocardiography, and the correct treatment of heart failure.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Mar 2015
Intrathecal RGS4 Inhibitor, CCG50014, Reduces Nociceptive Responses and Enhances Opioid-Mediated Analgesic Effects in the Mouse Formalin Test.
The regulator of G-protein signaling protein type 4 (RGS4) accelerates the guanosine triphosphatase activity of G(αi) and G(αo), resulting in the inactivation of G-protein-coupled receptor signaling. An opioid receptor (OR), a G(αi)-coupled receptor, plays an important role in pain modulation in the central nervous system. In this study, we examined whether (1) spinal RGS4 affected nociceptive responses in the formalin pain test, (2) this RGS4-mediated effect was involved in OR activation, and (3) the µ-OR agonist-induced antinociceptive effect was modified by RGS4 modulation. ⋯ These findings demonstrated that spinal RGS4 inhibited the endogenous or exogenous OR-mediated antinociceptive effect in the formalin pain test. Thus, the inhibition of RGS4 activity can enhance OR agonist-induced analgesia. The enhancement of OR agonist-induced analgesia by coadministration of the RGS4 inhibitor suggests a new therapeutic strategy for the management of inflammatory pain.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Mar 2015
Perioperative neurotoxicity in the elderly: summary of the 4th international workshop.
To learn the latest developments in the various forms of postoperative cognitive dysfunction, a group of scientists and physicians met in Stockholm for a full day of presentations and interactive discussions. This article summarizes the discussion; highlighting progress, challenges, and new directions in the area of perioperative neurotoxicity in our aging population.