title: The role of 2-chloroprocaine and sodium bisulfite in rat sciatic nerve edema.
abstract: In order to evaluate the possible mechanisms of local anesthetic toxicity, the rat sciatic nerve was exposed to various solutions including Nesacaine (containing the antioxidant sodium bisulfite), 2-chloroprocaine in the Nesacaine vehicle (0.2% sodium chloride), 0.2% sodium bisulfite in 0.2% sodium chloride, or 0.2% sodium chloride alone. All solutions were pH balanced between 2.9 and 3.2. Forty-eight hours (h) following extraneural administration of 1 ml volumes, significant edema was produced by all solutions containing 3% 2-chloroprocaine, but not with 0.2% bisulfite in sodium chloride or with sodium chloride alone. Intrafascicular administration of five to ten microliter volumes of these solutions produced edema at 48 h in all cases, but the highest levels were observed with Nesacaine and the lowest levels with 0.2% bisulfite. The results of this study implicate the local anesthetic 2-chloroprocaine in the production of nerve edema, which is inconsistent with other reports that the toxicity of Nesacaine-CE can be attributed to the antioxidant bisulfite.
mesh_terms: D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D011343:Procaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000473:pathology; D012996:Solutions; D013447:Sulfites / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D012996:Solutions; D013447:Sulfites; D011343:Procaine; C004616:chloroprocaine; C009279:sodium bisulfite