title: Morphological changes in the sciatic nerve, skeletal muscle, heart and brain of rabbits receiving continuous sciatic nerve block with 0.2% ropivacaine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the morphological changes in various tissues of rabbits receiving sciatic nerve block with 0.2% ropivacaine for 48 h.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty healthy were randomly assigned to normal saline group (N group) and ropivacaine group (R group). The right sciatic nerve was exposed, and a nerve-blocking trocar cannula embedded. Animals received an injection of 0.5% ropivacaine hydrochloride at a dose of 0.75 ml/kg. Rabbit was then connected to an infusion pump containing 50 ml of normal saline in N group, or to a infusion pump containing 0.2% ropivacaine hydrochloride in R group at 0.25 ml/kg•h-1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both R group and N group, a small number of nerve cells exhibited pyknotic degeneration. More nerve cells with pyknotic degeneration were found in R group than in N group (P<0.001). At 48 h after surgery, there was a significant correlation between the abnormality of right hind limb and the degree of edema in sciatic nerve (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pyknotic degeneration of sciatic nerve increased after an infusion of 0.2% ropivacaine hydrochloride for 48 h, suggesting the neurotoxicity of ropivacaine. An infusion of 0.2% ropivacaine hydrochloride for 48 h may cause necrosis of skeletal muscle cells. The sciatic nerve edema would greatly affect the hindlimb motor while both pyknotic degeneration of sciatic nerve and skeletal muscle have little influence on the hindlimb movement. After an infusion of 0.2% ropivacaine hydrochloride for 48 h, the morphology of right atrium and brain tissues around the ventriculus tertius and medulla oblongata remained unchanged.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji UniversityShanghai, China; Department of Anesthesiology, Rui Jin North Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong UniversityChina.
authors.forename: Yangning
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Tianxiao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000577:Amides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D007263:Infusions, Parenteral; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D009336:Necrosis; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011817:Rabbits; D000077212:Ropivacaine; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000577:Amides; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000077212:Ropivacaine
keywords: Ropivacaine; continuous nerve block; morphology
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