Elucidation about mechanism of prolonged analgesic effect of sciatic nerve block with perineural dexamethasone

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K18239
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 55050:Anesthesiology-related
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: MATSUDA KEIICHIRO 新潟大学, 医歯学総合病院, 専任助教 (10816961)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 局所麻酔薬作用延長効果 / デキサメタゾン添加 / 神経ブロック / 一酸化窒素合成酵素

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It is known that the addition of dexamethasone, a long-acting steroid, to local anesthetics during nerve block prolongs the duration of action of local anesthetics, but the mechanism of this effect remains unclear. In the present study, we examined the effect of prolongation of local anesthetic action by the addition of long-acting steroids on sciatic nerve block using a mouse model of postoperative pain, both behaviorally and histologically. Histological examination of the dorsal root ganglia of mice after nerve block using immunostaining revealed a decrease in neurogenic nitric oxide synthase in the long-acting steroid group in the early phase after nerve block, which may be involved in the mechanism of the prolongation effect.

Free Research Field

麻酔科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

神経ブロックを行う際に、長時間作用型ステロイドであるデキサメタゾンを局所麻酔薬に添加すると局所麻酔薬の作用時間が延長することが知られているが、そのメカニズムは未だに明らかになっていない。しかし、本手法は臨床の現場では頻繁に行われる方法であり、今回の研究結果を基に詳細な作用機序が解明されれば、より根拠を持って臨床で活用できると考える。