Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T10:43:47.408Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Midazolam inhibits cardiac nociception evoked by coronary artery occlusion in rats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2008

Z. Guo  and
D.-J. Yuan
Z. Guo*
Affiliation:
Shanxi Medical University and Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Departments of Anesthesiology, Taiyuan, Shanxi, PR China
D.-J. Yuan
Affiliation:
Shanxi Medical University and Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Departments of Anesthesiology, Taiyuan, Shanxi, PR China
*
Correspondence to: Zheng Guo, Departments of Anesthesiology, Shanxi Medical University and Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 56 Xinjian Nan Road, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, PR China. E-mail: [email protected]; Tel: +86 351 4174387; Fax: +86 351 2024239
Get access

Summary

Background and objectives

This study was designed to investigate the potential existence of the response of neurons in the parafascicular nucleus of the thalamus to acute myocardial ischaemia induced by selective coronary artery occlusion and the effects of midazolam on the response in rats.

Methods

The left anterior descending branch of the coronary artery was instrumented with a snare occluder in anaesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. A single-barrel glass microelectrode was used for recording the unit discharges of the neuron in the parafascicular nucleus. The neuron responding only to noxious somatic stimulation was further examined for the response to coronary artery occlusion. Once the effect of coronary artery occlusion on the discharges was detected, the pharmacological effects of midazolam and flumazenil were examined.

Results

It was observed that the discharge rate of the neuron was markedly increased following coronary artery occlusion. Midazolam attenuated the increase in the discharges of the neuron induced by coronary artery occlusion (P < 0.05). The effect of midazolam was reversed by flumazenil.

Conclusions

The parafascicular nucleus is involved in the modulation of cardiac nociception and midazolam possesses antinociceptive property in modulating cardiac pain.

Keywords

MIDAZOLAMFLUMAZENILPAIN, visceralRATCORONARY OCCLUSIONTHALAMUS
Type
Original Article
Information
European Journal of Anaesthesiology , Volume 25 , Issue 6 , June 2008 , pp. 479 - 484
Copyright
Copyright © European Society of Anaesthesiology 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Brown, AM. Excitation of afferent cardiac sympathetic nerve fibres during myocardial ischemia. J Physiol 1969; 190: 35–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Blair, RW, Ammons, WS, Foreman, RD. Responses of thoracic spinothalamic and spinoreticular cells to coronary artery occlusion. J. Neurophysiol 1984; 51: 636–648.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Foreman, RD, Blair, RW, Ammons, WS. Neural mechanisms of cardiac pain. In: Cervero, F, Morrison, JFB, eds. Visceral Sensation. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1986; 227–243.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Chang, HT. Integrative action of thalamus in the process of acupuncture for analgesia. Sci Sin 1973; 16: 25–60.Google Scholar
5.Rosen, SD, Paulesu, E, Frith, CD et al. Central nervous pathways mediating angina pectoris. Lancet 1994; 344: 147–150.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Sandkuhler, J. The organization and function of endogenous antinociceptive systems. Prog Neurobiol 1996; 50: 49–81.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Rosen, SD, Camici, PG. The brain-heart axis in the perception of cardiac pain: the elusive link between ischemia and pain. Ann Med 2000; 32: 350–364.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Jones, EG. A pain in the thalamus. J Pain 2002; 3: 102–104.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Cervero, F, Laird, JM. Visceral pain. Lancet 1999; 353: 2145–2148.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Bahar, M, Cohen, ML, Grinshpon, Y, Chanimov, M. Spinal anaesthesia with midazolam in the rat. Can J Anaesth 1997; 44: 208–415.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Goodchild, CS, Guo, Z, Musgreave, A, Gent, JP. Antinociception by intrathecal midazolam involves endogenous neurotransmitters acting at spinal cord delta opioid receptors. Br J Anaesth 1996; 77: 758–763.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.Weinbroum, AA, Weisenberg, M, Rudick, V, Geller, E, Niv, D. Flumazenil potentiation of postoperative morphine analgesia. Clin J Pain 2000; 16: 193–199.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13.Zimmermann, M. Ethical guidelines for investigations of experimental pain in conscious animals. Pain 1983; 16: 109–110.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Paxinos, G, Watson, C. The rat brain in stereotaxic coordinates, 2nd edn. NSW Australia: Academic Press, 1986; Plate 34–36.Google Scholar
15.Grindstaff, RR, Grindstaff, RJ, Cunningham, JT. Effects of right atrial distension on the activity of magnocellular neurons in the supraoptic nucleus. Am J Physiol Regul Intergr Comp Physiol 2000; 278: R1605–R1615.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Lenz, FA, Gracely, RH, Hope, EJ et al. The sensation of angina can be evoked by stimulation of the human thalamus. Pain 1994; 59: 119–125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Ruggiero, DA, Anwar, S, Kim, J, Glickstein, SB. Visceral afferent pathways to the thalamus and olfactory tubercle: behavioral implications. Brain Res 1998; 799: 159–171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18.Teng, GX. The action of the visceronociceptive neurons in the posterior group of thalamic nuclei: possible mechanism of acupuncture analgesia on visceral pain. Kitasato Arch of Exp Med 1991; 64: 43–55.Google Scholar
19.Janig, W. Neurobiology of visceral afferent neurons: neuroanatomy, functions, organ regulations and sensations. Biol Psychol 1996; 42: 29–51.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20.Foreman, RD, Carl, AO. Effects of coronary artery occlusion on thoracic spinal neurons receiving viscerosomatic inputs. Am J Physiol 1980; 238: H667–H674.Google ScholarPubMed
21.Guo, Z, Niu, Y-L, Zhang, J-W, Yao, T-P. Coronary artery occlusion alters expression of substance P and its mRNA in spinal dorsal horn in rats. Neurosci 2007; 145: 669–675.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22.Hua, F, Richetts, BA, Reifsteck, A, Ardell, JL, Williams, CA. Myocardial ischemia induces the release of substance P from cardiac afferent neurons in rat thoracic spinal cord. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2004; 286: H1654–H1664.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23.Woods, JH, Katz, JL, Winger, G. Benzodiazepines: use, abuse, and consequences. Pharmacol Rev 1992; 44: 151–347.Google ScholarPubMed
24.Nishiyama, T, Matsukawa, T, Hanaoka, K. Continuous epidural administration of midazolam and bupivacaine for postoperative analgesia. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1999; 43: 568–572.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25.Feng, J, Kendig, JJ. Synergistic interactions between midazolam and alfentanil in isolated neonatal rat spinal cord. Br J Anaesth 1996; 77: 373–375.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26.Nishiyama, T. The post-operative analgesic action of midazolam following epidural administration. Eur J Anaesthesiol 1995; 12: 369–374.Google ScholarPubMed