Asiye Nurten

Efeitos neurotóxicos de levobupivacaína e fentanil sobre a medula espinhal de ratos

BACKGROUND The purpose of the study was to compare the neurotoxic effects of intrathecally administered levobupivacaine, fentanyl and their mixture on rat spinal cord. METHODS In experiment, there were four groups with medication and a control group. Rats were injected 15μL saline or fentanyl 0.0005μg/15μL, levobupivacaine 0.25%/15μL and fentanyl 0.0005μg+levobupivacaine 0.25%/15μL intrathecally for four days. Hot plate test was performed to assess neurologic function after each injection at 5th, 30th and 60th min. Five days after last lumbal injection, spinal cord sections between the T5 and T6 vertebral levels were obtained for histologic analysis. A score based on subjective assessment of number of eosinophilic neurons - Red neuron - which means irreversible neuronal degeneration. They reflect the approximate number of degenerating neurons present in the affected neuroanatomic areas as follows: 1, none; 2, 1-20%; 3, 21-40%; 4, 41-60%; and 5, 61-100% dead neurons. An overall neuropathologic score was calculated for each rat by summating the pathologic scores for all spinal cord areas examined. RESULTS In the results of HPT, comparing the control group, analgesic latency statistically prolonged for all four groups. In neuropathologic investment, the fentanyl and fentanyl+levobupivacaine groups have statistically significant high degenerative neuron counts than control and saline groups. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that, when administered intrathecally in rats, fentanyl and levobupivacaine behave similar for analgesic action, but fentanyl may be neurotoxic for spinal cord. There was no significant degeneration with levobupivacaine, but fentanyl group has had significant degeneration.

Contribution of M1 and M2 muscarinic receptor subtypes to convulsions in fasted mice treated with scopolamine and given food

&NA; Treatment of fasted mice and rats with the nonselective muscarinic antagonist, scopolamine or atropine, causes convulsions after food intake. This study evaluated the effect of fasting on the expression of M1 and M2 muscarinic receptors in the brain regions, the relationship between receptor expression and seizure stages, and the muscarinic receptor subtype which plays a role in the occurrence of convulsions. Mice were grouped as allowed to eat ad lib (fed) and deprived of food for 24 h (fasted). Fasted animals developed convulsions after being treated with scopolamine (60%) or the selective M1 receptor antagonist pirenzepine (10 mg/kg; 20% and 60 mg/kg; 70%) and given food. Fasting increased expression of M1 receptors in the frontal cortex and M2 receptors in the hippocampus, but produced no change in the expression of both receptors in the amygdaloid complex. Food intake after fasting decreased M1 receptor expression in the frontal cortex and M1 and M2 receptor expression in the hippocampus. Seizure severity was uncorrelated with muscarinic receptor expression in the brain regions. Taken together, these findings provide evidence for the role of M1 muscarinic receptor antagonism and fasting‐induced increases in M1 and M2 expression possible underlying mechanism in the occurrence of convulsions in fasted animals.

Scopolamine-induced convulsions in fasted animals after food intake: Sensitivity of C57BL/6J mice and Sprague-Dawley rats

Food intake triggers convulsions in fasted BALB/c mice and Wistar albino rats treated with antimuscarinic drugs, scopolamine or atropine. Inbred strain studies have yielded considerable information regarding genetic influences on seizure susceptibility and factors contribute to epileptogenesis in rodents. This study, therefore, investigated sensitivity to antimuscarinic-induced seizures in C57BL/6J mice and Sprague-Dawley rats. Food deprivation for 48h in mice and 52h in rats did not produce strain differences in body weight loss. Fasted animals treated i.p. with 3mg/kg scopolamine developed convulsions after food intake. The incidence of convulsions was indifferent in comparison to BALB/c mice and Wistar albino rats. Number of animals developing stage 5 was more and onset of convulsions was longer in C57BL/6J mice than in BALB/c mice. Strain-related differences in sensitivity to seizures in C57BL/6J mice may need further evaluation for investigating genetic influences on scopolamine-induced seizures.