title: The effect of pentobarbital sodium on the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.
abstract: The effect of intravenously administered pentobarbital sodium on the activity of single unit in Rexed lamina V of the transected feline lumbar spinal cord was studied using an extracellular microelectrode recording technique. Pentobarbital sodium 1.0 mg·kg(-1), 2.5 mg·kg(-1), and 5.0 mg·kg(-1) administered intravenously suppressed both the spontaneous and the evoked activity in Rexed lamina V cells, known to respond principally to noxious stimuli, in a dose-dependent manner. The maximum depression of cell activity occurred within 5 min after intravenous administration. The recovery of cell activity occurred within 70 min after intravenous administration of pentobarbital sodium. We conclude that pentobarbital sodium intravenously administered has a suppressive effect on single unit activity of cells in Rexed lamina V and probably has an analgesic effect. Its suppressive effect is dose-dependent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, 113, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagase
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hanaoka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tagami
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ide
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sumida
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamura