Korean J Anesthesiol.  2006 Aug;51(2):207-215. 10.4097/kjae.2006.51.2.207.

The Effect of Intrathecal Bupivacaine with Hypothermia on Neuronal Protection against Transient Spinal Cord Ischemia in Rats

• Lee JR
• Leem JG
• Hwang SJ
• Jang DM
• Kim JW

• KMID: 1936662
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2006.51.2.207

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Local anesthetics can reduece excitotoxic neuronal injury from ischemia. We investigated neuroprotective effects of intrathecally administered bupivacaine and hypothermia in rat model of transient spinal cord ischemia.
METHODS
A PE-10 intrathecal catheter was implanted into thirty six male Sprague-Dawley rats through L4-5 interlaminar space. Animals of normothermia (N) and hypothermia (H) groups were administered 15microliter of normal saline, and 15microliter of 0.5% bupivacaine for bupivacaine (B) and bupivacaine-hypothermia (BH) groups. Transient spinal cord ischemia was induced by inflation of a 2 F Fogarty catheter placed into aortic arch for 12 minutes. During ischemia, rectal temperature was maintained to 37.0+/-0.5 degrees C for N and B groups, 34.5 +/- 0.5degrees C for H and BH groups. Motor and sensory deficit score were assessed 2 and 24 hour after reperfusion. Lumbar spinal cords were harvested for histopathology, and for immunoreactivity of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70).
RESULTS
The motor and sensory deficit score of N and B group was significantly higher than H group (P < 0.05) and BH group (P < 0.05). There were also significant difference in the motor and sensory deficit score between H and BH group at 24 hr (P < 0.05). Neuronal cell death and immunoreactivity of HSP70 was frequently observed in the N and B groups, but not in the H and BH groups.
CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that intrathecal bupivacaine did not provide neuroprotection during normothermic transient spinal cord ischemia in rats, but it can enhance neuroprotective effects of hypothermia.

Keyword

bupivacaine; hypothermia; spinal cord ischemia

MeSH Terms

Anesthetics, Local
Animals
Aorta, Thoracic
Bupivacaine*
Catheters
Cell Death
HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins
Humans
Hypothermia*
Inflation, Economic
Ischemia
Male
Models, Animal
Neurons*
Neuroprotective Agents
Rats*
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Reperfusion
Spinal Cord Ischemia*
Spinal Cord*
Anesthetics, Local
Bupivacaine
HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins
Neuroprotective Agents