Neurosteroid dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate enhances pain transmission in rat spinal cord dorsal horn.

Background: The neurosteroid dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) activates the sigma-1 receptor, inhibits gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABA) and glycine receptors, and induces hyperalgesic effects. Although its effects have been studied in various tissues of the nervous system, its synaptic mechanisms in nociceptive pathways remain to be elucidated.

Methods: The threshold of mechanical hypersensitivity and spontaneous pain behaviour was assessed using the von Frey test in adult male Wistar rats after intrathecal administration of DHEAS.

Symptom Burden and End-of-Life Palliative Treatments during the Last Two Weeks of Life in Patients with Advanced Musculoskeletal Sarcoma.

Musculoskeletal sarcomas (MSSs) are rare cancers and often aggressive tumors that originate from mesenchymal tissue. Patients with advanced MSS often report difficulties with symptom burden, which can reduce their health-related quality-of-life. The aim of this study was to describe the patterns of the physical symptoms of MSS patients in the palliative setting and to detail the palliative treatment used in the last two weeks of life.

[Case of profound bradycardia and cardiac arrest during left upper lobectomy and lymph node dissection].

We present a case of profound bradycardia and cardiac arrest in a 61-year-old man, which occurred during left upper lobectomy and lymph node dissection for the ligamentum arteriosum. General anesthesia was maintained by propofol TIVA combined with epidural anesthesia. During the electrocautery dissection of the lymph node of the ligamentum arteriosum the patient became extremely bradycardic for 10 min.

Bupivacaine inhibits glutamatergic transmission in spinal dorsal horn neurons.

Background: The local anesthetic bupivacaine is thought not only to block sodium channels but also to interact with various receptors. Here, the authors focus on excitatory glutamatergic transmission in the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord with respect to its importance for nociceptive processing.

Methods: The effects of bupivacaine on the response to exogenous administration of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor agonists were examined in lamina II neurons of adult rat spinal cord slices using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique.

[Sudden vocal cord closure during general anesthesia using remifentanil].

We experienced three cases of ventilatory difficulty through a Proseal laryngeal mask airway was encountered during general anesthesia using remifentanil and sevoflurane. General anesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with remifentanil (0.2-0.

Action of dexmedetomidine on the substantia gelatinosa neurons of the rat spinal cord.

Dexmedetomidine is a highly specific, potent and selective alpha(2)-adrenoceptor agonist. Although intrathecal and epidural administration of dexmedetomidine has been found to produce analgesia, whether this analgesia results from an effect on spinal cord substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of dexmedetomidine on postsynaptic transmission in SG neurons of rat spinal cord slices using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique.

Taurine activates glycine and gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptors in rat substantia gelatinosa neurons.

Taurine has been suggested to modulate nociceptive information at the spinal cord level. In this study, the pharmacological properties of taurine were investigated in adult rat substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons using whole-cell patch-clamp method. We found that taurine seemed to have higher efficacy than glycine on glycine receptors in SG neurons.

Differential presynaptic effects of opioid agonists on Adelta- and C-afferent glutamatergic transmission to the spinal dorsal horn.

Background: Although intrathecal administration of opioids produces antinociceptive effects in the spinal cord, it has not been established whether intrathecal opioid application more effectively terminates C fiber-mediated pain than A fiber-mediated pain. Here, the authors focus on the differences in opioid actions on Adelta- and C-afferent responses.

Methods: Using the whole cell patch clamp technique, the authors investigated the presynaptic inhibitory actions of micro-, delta-, and kappa-opioid receptor agonists on primary afferent-evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in substantia gelatinosa neurons of adult rat spinal cord slices.

Nitrous oxide inhibits glutamatergic transmission in spinal dorsal horn neurons.

The effects of nitrous oxide (N2O) are thought to be mediated by several pharmacological pathways at different levels of the central nervous system. Here, we focus on excitatory glutamatergic transmission in the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord with respect to its importance for the nociceptive processing. The effects of 50% N2O on electrically evoked and spontaneous excitatory glutamatergic transmission and on the response to exogenous administration of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptor agonists were examined in lamina II neurons of adult rat spinal cord slices using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique.

Actions of midazolam on excitatory transmission in dorsal horn neurons of adult rat spinal cord.

Background: Although intrathecal administration of midazolam, a water-soluble imidazobenzodiazepine derivative, has been found to produce analgesia, how it exerts this effect at the neuronal level in the spinal cord is not fully understood.

Methods: The effects of midazolam on electrically evoked and spontaneous excitatory transmission were examined in lamina II neurons of adult rat spinal cord slices using the whole cell patch clamp technique.

Results: Bath-applied midazolam (1 microm) diminished Adelta- and C-fiber evoked polysynaptic excitatory postsynaptic currents in both amplitude and integrated area.