Effect of perioperative dexmedetomidine on the endocrine modulators of stress response: a meta-analysis.

This study examined the effects of perioperative dexmedetomidine treatment on physiological modulators of surgical stress response. The quality of the included studies was assessed prior to performing meta-analyses of the weighted mean differences in the changes from baseline of stress hormones and interpreted in the light of statistical heterogeneity between the studies. Nineteen studies (844 surgical subjects) data were used for this meta-analysis. Dexmedetomidine administration significantly decreased blood cortisol levels (µg/dL) postoperatively (mean difference with 95% confidence interval (CI) from controls: -18.78 (-28.45, -9.10); P < 0.05). In the subgroup analysis, the mean difference between dexmedetomidine-treated and saline-treated subjects in the changes from baseline of the cortisol levels was -20.10 (-30.96, -9.25; P < 0.05) but, between dexmedetomidine- and comparator-treated subjects, it was not statistically significantly different (-15.13 (-49.78, 19.52); P < 0.05). Compared with controls, dexmedetomidine treatment also decreased adrenaline and noradrenaline levels significantly (mean difference in the percent changes from baseline: -90.41 (-145.79, -35.03)%; P < 0.05 and -62.82 (-85.47, -0.40.17)%; P < 0.05, respectively). Dexmedetomidine also decreased prolactin levels with a mean difference of -19.42 (-39.37, 0.52) µg/L (P = 0.06). In conclusion, perioperative use of dexmedetomidine reduces serum catecholamine and cortisol levels but the decrease in cortisol levels was not statistically different from the comparator anaesthetics. More data will be required to assess the effects of dexmedetomidine on corticotropin, prolactin, and growth hormone.

Efficacy and safety of local anesthetics bupivacaine, ropivacaine and levobupivacaine in combination with sufentanil in epidural anesthesia for labor and delivery: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: In epidural analgesia, synthetic opioids increase the potency of amide local anesthetics by modifying their analgesic properties. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to compare the efficacy and safety of bupivacaine with ropivacaine and levobupivacaine in combination with sufentanil (BUPI-, ROPI-, and LBUPI-SUF respectively) in epidural analgesia for labor. METHODS: A literature search was made in multiple electronic databases for original research papers published between 1995 and 2014. Meta-analyses were based on mean differences between the groups as well as odds ratios where appropriate. Both the fixed effects and random effects models were utilized and heterogeneity was tested with the I(2) index. RESULTS: Analgesia duration was significantly longer in ROPI-SUF and LBUPI-SUF than in BUPI-SUF administered women with a mean difference (95% CI) of 16.12 (2.56, 29.68); P < 0.03 and 18.02 (9.09, 26.96); P < 0.0001 respectively under a random effects model (REM). Effective analgesia achievement was significantly earlier in the BUPI-SUF than in either the ROPI-SUF (2.61 [1.87, 3.36]; P < 0.00001) or the LBUPI-SUF groups (4.53 [3.66, 5.40]; P < 0.00001) under a fixed effects model (FEM) but not under a REM (I(2 )= 85%). Motor blockade incidence was higher in BUPI-SUF anesthetized patients, although the difference was not statistically significant. A higher incidence of instrumental deliveries was evident in the ROPI-SUF (FEM: 1.68 [1.13, 2.50]; P < 0.02/REM: 1.76 [1.00, 3.11]; P = 0.05) and LBUPI-SUF (FEM: 2.03 [1.07, 3.86]; P < 0.04/REM: 2.03 [1.07, 3.86]; P < 0.04) groups than in the BUPI-SUF group of patients. Inconsistencies in the availability of parametric data and use of slightly varying anesthetic dosages in included studies were important limitations. CONCLUSION: Whereas significantly longer labor analgesia can be achieved with ROPI-SUF and LBUPI-SUF and ropivacaine is associated with comparatively less motor blockade, labor duration after epidural analgesia has been found to be shorter in BUPI-SUF and there is a low incidence of instrumental delivery.

[Effect of propofol on the transcription activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene promoter in human umbilic vein endothelial cells induced by lipopolysaccharide].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of propofol on the transcription activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (heNOS) gene promoter in human umbilic vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). METHODS: heNOS gene promoter sequence (from-1 to -1600 bp) was subcloned into the Bgl II/Hind III sites of the firefly luciferase reporter gene vector, pGL2-Basic, to obtain the recombinant plasmid peNOS-Luc. peNOS-Luc, pGL2-Basic and pCMV-beta were cotransfected into HUVECs, which were treated subsequently with LPS, LPS+propofol and LPS+transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF beta 1), respectively. The relative activities (Luc/beta-gal) were determined in the cell lysates to evaluate the activity of heNOS gene promoter. RESULTS: Double restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing both confirmed successful construction of the recombinant plasmid peNOS-Luc, which could be effectively expressed in HUVECs. Upon LPS stimulation, the luciferase activity was obviously decreased, contrary to the effects of propofol and TGFb1 treatment, and between the latter two agents, TGF beta 1 produced higher transcription activity. CONCLUSION: Propofol can up-regulate the activity of heNOS gene promoter in HUVECs and affect the nitrogen monoxide production and release at the transcriptional level, which is probably one of mechanisms for propofol to ameliorate LPS-induced inflammatory reaction.