Background The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that the increased duration of analgesia caused by adding dexmedetomidine to local anesthetic results from blockade of the hyperpolarization-activated cation (Ih)current. Methods In this randomized, blinded, controlled study, the analgesic effects of peripheral nerve blocks using 0.5% ropivacaine alone or 0.5% ropivacaine plus dexmedetomidine (34 μM or 6 μg/kg) were assessed with or without the pretreatment of α1- and α2-adrenoceptor antagonists (prazosin and idazoxan, respectively) and antagonists and agonists of the Ih current (ZD 7288 and forskolin, respectively). Sciatic nerve blocks were performed, and analgesia was measured by paw withdrawal latency to a thermal stimulus every 30 min for 300 min post-block. Results The analgesic effect of dexmedetomidine added to ropivacaine was not reversed by either prazosin or idazoxan. There were no additive or attenuated effects from the pretreatment with ZD 7288 (Ih current) when compared with dexmedetomidine added to ropivacaine. When forskolin was administered as a pretreatment to ropivacaine plus dexmedetomidine, there were statistically significant reductions in duration of analgesia at time points 90–180 min (p < 0.0001 for each individual comparison). The duration of blockade for the forskolin (768 μM) followed by ropivacaine plus dexmedetomidine group mirrored the pattern of the ropivacaine alone group, thereby implying a reversal effect. Conclusion Dexmedetomidine added to ropivacaine caused approximately a 175% increase in the duration of analgesia, which was reversed by pretreatment with an Ih current enhancer. The analgesic effect of dexmedetomidine was not reversed by an ∝2-adrenoceptor antagonist.

Background The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that dexmedetomidine added to ropivacaine would increase the duration of antinociception to a thermal stimulus in a dose-dependent fashion in a rat model of sciatic nerve blockade. Methods Fifty adult Sprague Dawley rats (10 rats/group) received unilateral sciatic nerve blocks with 0.2 ml of 0.5% ropivacaine or 0.2 ml of 0.5% ropivacaine plus dexmedetomidine (2.7 μM [0.5 μg/kg], 11.7 μM [2 μg/kg], 34.1 μM [6 μg/kg], or 120.6 μM [20 μg/kg]) in a randomized, blinded fashion. Time to paw withdrawal latency to a thermal stimulus for both paws and an assessment of motor function were measured every 30 min after the nerve block until a return to baseline. Results Dexmedetomidine added to ropivacaine increased the duration of dense sensory blockade and time for return to normal sensory function in a dose-dependent fashion (p < 0.005). There was a significant time (p < 0.005), dose (p < 0.005), and time by dose effect (p < 0.005) on paw withdrawal latencies of the operative paws. There were no significant differences in paw withdrawal latencies of the control paws, indicating little systemic effect of the dexmedetomidine. The duration of motor blockade was also increased with dexmedetomidine. High-dose dexmedetomidine (120.6 μM) was not neurotoxic. Conclusion This is the first study showing that dexmedetomidine added to ropivacaine increases the duration of sensory blockade in a dose-dependent fashion in rat. The findings are an essential first step encouraging future efficacy studies in humans.

Sensory analgesia provided by dexmedetomidine added to ropivacaine for peripheral nerve blocks in rat is a peripherally mediated effect.