Clinical actions of subarachnoid sevoflurane administration in vivo : a study in dogs

Inhibition of voltage-gated sodium channels by emulsified isoflurane may contribute to its subarachnoid anesthetic effect in beagle dogs

BACKGROUND

Volatile anesthetics, in addition to their general anesthesia action, have been proven to produce regional anesthetic effect in various animal models. The major aim of this study was to examine whether emulsified isoflurane (EI) could also produce subarachnoid anesthesia and to investigate its possible mechanism.

METHODS

Beagle dogs were randomly assigned into 5 groups (n = 6/group): intrathecally receiving 1% lidocaine 0.1 mL/kg, 30% intralipid 0.1 mL/kg (control), or 8% EI at doses of 0.05, 0.075, or 0.1 mL/kg, respectively. Consciousness state, motor function of limbs, and response to nociceptive stimulus were observed after drug administration. The effect of EI on voltage-gated Na channel was recorded from isolated spinal neurons of rats, using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Inhibition of peak sodium currents and effect of EI on Na channel gating were analyzed.

RESULTS

Emulsified isoflurane produced subarachnoid anesthesia in a dose-dependent manner, and at the dose of 0.1 mL/kg, the effect of 8% EI was similar to 1% lidocaine. Sodium channel currents were inhibited by EI at clinically relevant concentrations, with the IC50 (median inhibitory concentration) at 0.69 ± 0.08 mM. Voltage activation of Na channels was positive, shifted by isoflurane at the concentration of 0.77 mM, and V½ of activation (voltage for half-maximal activation) shifted from -12.4 ± 2.7 mV to -7.3 ± 2.3 mV (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Emulsified isoflurane produced dose-dependent subarachnoid anesthesia, and this effect might be mediated by inhibition of EI on voltage-gated Na channels in the spinal cord.

Reversible conduction block in isolated toad sciatic nerve by emulsified isoflurane

BACKGROUND

Studies have shown that the local use of volatile anesthetics can produce local anesthetic effects. We designed this study to evaluate the characteristics of nerve conduction block of emulsified isoflurane (EI) and compare its nerve blockade with 1%lidocaine, by measuring compound nerve action potential (CNAP) parameters in isolated toad sciatic nerve.

METHODS

One hundred isolated toad sciatic nerves were selected and randomly assigned to 10 groups of 10 each, administered 2% to 8% EI (v/v) (EI(8) group, etc.), 1% lidocaine, 30% Intralipid(R) (Huarui Pharmacy, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China), and Ringer solution (RS) for 10 minutes, respectively. All nerves were then washed and soaked with RS for 10 minutes and 30 minutes. The nerve conduction block effect was represented by CNAP parameters that were recorded by an extracellular recording technique per minute.

RESULTS

The results showed that the negative amplitudes of CNAP were decreased by EI and lidocaine (P < 0.05), and the conduction velocities of CNAP were also decreased at some time points (D7-W3) (P < 0.05). After RS washing, the 2 parameters recovered gradually. The changes in the 2 parameters induced by EI had slower onset rates and faster recoveries than those produced by lidocaine (7 minutes vs 1 minute and 9 minutes vs 30 minutes). The nerve blockade induced by EI was dose dependent (P < 0.05), and the half maximal inhibition concentration of EI was 5.46%.

CONCLUSIONS

EI produced completely reversible and dose-dependent nerve conduction inhibition, which had slower onset and faster recovery compared with those produced by lidocaine.

Is a new paradigm needed to explain how inhaled anesthetics produce immobility?

A paradox arises from present information concerning the mechanism(s) by which inhaled anesthetics produce immobility in the face of noxious stimulation. Several findings, such as additivity, suggest a common site at which inhaled anesthetics act to produce immobility. However, two decades of focused investigation have not identified a ligand- or voltage-gated channel that alone is sufficient to mediate immobility. Indeed, most putative targets provide minimal or no mediation. For example, opioid, 5-HT3, gamma-aminobutyric acid type A and glutamate receptors, and potassium and calcium channels appear to be irrelevant or play only minor roles. Furthermore, no combination of actions on ligand- or voltage-gated channels seems sufficient. A few plausible targets (e.g., sodium channels) merit further study, but there remains the possibility that immobilization results from a nonspecific mechanism.

Programming pressure support ventilation in pediatric patients in ambulatory surgery with a laryngeal mask airway

BACKGROUND

Anesthesia workstations with pressure support ventilation (PSV) are available, but there are few studies published on how to program flow-triggered PSV using a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) under general anesthesia in pediatric patients.

METHODS

We studied 60 ASA I and II patients, from 2 mo to 14 yr, scheduled for ambulatory surgery under combined general and regional anesthesia with a LMA. Patients were classified according to their body weight as follows: Group A < or =10 kg, Group B 11-20 kg, and Group C >20 kg. All were ventilated in PSV using the following settings: positive end-expiratory pressure of 4 cm H2O, the minimum flow-trigger without provoking auto-triggering, and the minimum level of pressure support to obtain 10 mL/kg of tidal volume.

RESULTS

The flow-trigger most frequently used in our study was 0.4 L/min, ranging from 0.2 to 0.6 L/min. We found no correlation between the flow-trigger setting and the patient's age, weight, compliance, resistance, or respiratory rate. There was a good correlation between the level of pressure support (Group A = 15 cm H2O, Group B = 10 cm H2O and Group C = 9 cm H2O) and age (P < 0.001), weight (P < 0.001), dynamic compliance (P < 0.001), and airway resistances (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

PSV with a Proseal LMA in outpatient pediatric anesthesia can be programmed simply using the common clinical noninvasive variables studied. However, more studies are needed to estimate the level of pressure support that may be required in other clinical situations (respiratory pathology, endotracheal tubes, or other types of surgeries) or with other anesthesia workstations.

Antimicrobial effects of liquid anesthetic isoflurane on Candida albicans

Candida albicans is a dimorphic fungus that can grow in yeast morphology or hyphal form depending on the surrounding environment. This ubiquitous fungus is present in skin and mucus membranes as a potential pathogen that under opportunistic conditions causes a series of systemic and superficial infections known as candidiasis, moniliasis or simply candidiasis. There has been a steady increase in the prevalence of candidiasis that is expressed in more virulent forms of infection. Although candidiasis is commonly manifested as mucocutaneous disease, life-threatening systemic invasion by this fungus can occur in every part of the body. The severity of candidal infections is associated with its morphological shift such that the hyphal morphology of the fungus is most invasive. Of importance, aberrant multiplication of Candida yeast is also associated with the pathogenesis of certain mucosal diseases. In this study, we assessed the anti-candidal activity of the volatile anesthetic isoflurane in liquid form in comparison with the anti-fungal agent amphotericin B in an in vitro culture system. Exposure of C. albicans to isoflurane (0.3% volume/volume and above) inhibited multiplication of yeast as well as formation of hyphae. These data suggest development of potential topical application of isoflurane for controlling a series of cutaneous and genital infections associated with this fungus. Elucidiation of the mechanism by which isoflurane effects fungal growth could offer therapeutic potential for certain systemic fungal infections.