Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is a non-selective cation channel,which can be activated by multiple pathways during the course of the diseases.Recent studies indicate that primary sensory neurons of the pancreas express TRPV1 receptor and the activation of TRPV1 receptor promotes pancreatic inflammation.Moreover,blockade of these transient receptor potential channels can greatly ameliorate the pain response in experimental pancreatitis.

Objective: To determine the effects of intravenous anesthetics (fentanyl,midazolam and propofol )on inflammatory responses. Method: We employed carrageenan-sensitized endotoxemic rabbit model. Thirty-two New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned to one of four groups,control group(no anesthetic was used), fentanyl group, midazolam group and propofol group. Different anesthetics were used intravenously for anesthesia induction and maintenance according to the group classification. Meanwhile, all animals were mechanically ventilated, then, 2?g?kg~(-1) lipopolysaccharide(LPS) were injected for endotoxin challenge. Result:In all groups, serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)activity began to increase at 30 min,reached its maximal level at 60 min,and tended to decrease at 120 min after (LPS) challenge,and the significant increase of TNF activity was associated with development of hypotension. Meanwhile,serum phospholipase A_2(PLA_2)activity began to increase at 60 min and persisted in going up within 2h. Those animals,with continuous infusion of these three different anesthetics and mechanical ventilation,had much lower peak level of TNF and higher mean arterial pressure (MAP)than control levels, but their changes of serum PLA_2 activity had no significant difference from control level. Conclusion: With mechanical ventilation, intravenous infusion of these anesthetics can reduce LPS induced injury in the acute phase of endotoxemia, probably by the inhibition of TNF production.

Objective To study the effects of sevoflurane on voltage-gated Na~+, K~+ and Ca~(2+) channels in rat dorsal root ganglion(DRG) cells.Methods Dorsal root ganglions were dissected from thoracic and upper lumbar segments of the spinal cord. DRG cells were prepared by digestion with collagenase and trypsin at 32-34℃ The whole cell Na~+, K~+ and Ca~(2+) currents were recorded by standard patch clamp technique. The changes in the currents from holding potential of-70 mV to test potential of 0 mV were recorded in a 10 mV increments in the presence and absence of sevoflurane. Results 0.4, 0.9 and 1.8 mmol?L~(-1) sevoflurane had no effect on Na~+ or K~+ currents but Ca~(2+) currents could be significantly suppressed by 0.4 mmol?L~(-1) sevoflurane. Conclusion Na~+ and K~+ channels in DRG cells are not involved in the spinal mechanism of sevoflurane. The inhibition of Ca~(2+) current in DRG cells by sevoflurane could be associated with the antinociceptive effect of sevoflurane at the spinal cord level.

AIM: Apply the newly invented method of suppression subtractive hybridization to scan the mitochondria genes expression of hippocampus neurons in post ischemia/reperfusion rats. METHODS: Decapitate the rats suffering 10 min of whole brain ischemia and 24 h of reperfusion in Pulsinelli’s 4 vessels occlusion ischemia/reperfusion model. Dissociated hippocampus and isolated mRNA. After reversed transcription, use SSH to subtract the common sequences, then use suppressed PCR to amplify the differentially expressed sequences. After cloning and DNA sequencing, the dot hybridization was used to finally identify the differential gene expression. RESULTS: In the 78 positive clones acquired from cloning, 7 clones represent differential gene expression after confirmed by clone PCR, dot blot and DNA sequencing. The DNA sequencing data indicate these clones are ESTs of Cytochrome c oxidase subunit and NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase chain 4 gene. CONCLUSION: Cytochrome C oxidase mRNA level changs during brain ischemia /reperfusion. The differential expression of NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase chain 4, one of those 13 subunits of subcomplex ?, suggests that subcomplex ? may have important function associated with pathophysiologic changs in reperfusion injury.

AIM: To study the difference in gene expression of peripheral blood neutrophils between system inflammatory response syndrome(SIRS) patients and the health volunteers.METHODS: cDNA microarray was used to detect the mRNA from peripheral blood neutrophils in both 4 patients with SIRS patients and 6 health volunteers.RESULTS: Among 8 400 genes,there were significant differences in 382 gene expression,of which 122 expressed higher and 260 lower in SIRS patients than those in healthy volunteers.The differently expressed genes consisted of intracellular signaling transduction genes(35%),cell receptor genes(22%),genes of DNA binding or transcriptional factors(23%)and genes of cytokines(11%).CONCLUSION: Our results suggests the changes in gene expression of polymorphonuclear neutrophils in SIRS may be more complicated than those in vitro experiments,and associated with the effect produced by pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory factors.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of wrist-ankle acupuncture in treating pain due to laparoscopic cholecystectomy.Method Totally 150 patients who were going to receive laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomized into group A, group B, and group C, 50 cases in each group. Group A was intervened by wrist-ankle acupuncture prior to anesthesia, with the needles retained for 12 h; group B was by subcutaneous needling at the area nearby the points prior to anesthesia, with the needles retained for 12 h; group C didn’t receive any intervention before anesthesia. For the three groups, general inhalational and intravenous anesthesia was adopted for surgery, and patient-controlled intravenous analgesia for post-operation analgesia. The incision pain and visceral pain in the three groups were recorded by using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) respectively 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, 24 h, 36 h, and 48 h after the operation. The total effective rate, analgesics consumption after operation, and incidence rate of adverse reaction were compared.Result There were significant differences in comparing the VAS scores of incision pain and visceral pain between group A and group C 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 36 h after the operation (P<0.01,P<0.05). Between group A and group B, there were significant differences in comparing the VAS score of incision pain 8 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 36 h after the operation and the VAS score of visceral pain 12 h, 24 h, and 36 h after the operation (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 96.0% in group A, which was significantly different from 84.0% in group B and 86.0% in group C (P<0.05). The consumption of Fentaneyl citrate injection was (52.4±10.8)μg in group A, which was significantly different from (92.2±11.0)μg in group B and (107.2±11.5)μg in group C (P<0.05,P<0.01). The incidence rate of adverse reactions was 12.0% in group A, which was significantly different from 58.0% in group B and 66.0% in group C (P<0.01).Conclusion Wrist-ankle acupuncture plus patient-controlled intravenous analgesia can mitigate pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and thus it can be taken as one of the post-operational analgesic approaches.

Objective To investigate the effect of lacosamide on expression of Nav1 .8 in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in a rat model of chronic neuropathic pain.Methods Thirty-six female specific-pathogen-free (SPF)SD rats were randomly assigned into 3 groups ( n = 12 each): sham operation group (group S), model group (group M) and lacosamide group (group L) . Chronic neuropathic pain was produced by insertion of a small stainless steel rod (4.00 mm in length and 0.63 mm in diameter) into the L, intervertebral foramen in the rat, producing a chronic steady compression of the DRG in M and L groups. The mechanical threshold was measured 2 days before operation and on the 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 days after operation (T0-7 ) . Intraperitoneal lacosamide 20mg/kg (in normal saline 0.5 ml) was injected at T4-7, twice a day in S and L groups. In group M, normal saline 0.5 ml was injected at T4-7 twice a day and the mechanical threshold was measured after the last administration everyday . The L, DRG on the operated side was removed after measurement of pain threshold to detect the expression of Na, 1.8 mRNA and protein by RT-PCR and immuno-histochemistry respectively. Results Compared with group S, the mechanical pain threshold was significantly decreased at T1-7 and the expression of Navl .8 mRNA and protein was up-regulated in M and L groups ( P < 0.05) . Compared with group M, the mechanical pain threshold was significantly increased at T4-7 and the expression of Nav 1.8 mRNA and protein was down-regulated in group L ( P < 0.05) . Conclusion The mechanism by which lacosamide reduces chronic neuropathic pain is related to the down-regulation of the expression of Nav 1.8 in rat DRG.

Objective To investigate the effects of gabapentin(GBP) on plasma β-endorphin(β-EP) level in the patients with painful diabetic neuropathy(PDN). Methods We detected the plasma β-EP level in 24 PDN patients in the treatment with GBP, 18 PDN patients without GBP treatment, 20 diabetic mellitus patients without PDN and 24 healthy control subjects. Results (1)The level of β-EP in diabetic mellitus patients was lower than in the healthy control(P<0.01). (2)The patients who received GBP had a significant change of β-EP level after treatment(P<0. 01).. Conclusions Gabapentin is effective for the treatment of PDN and its adverse effects are mild. It can lower the plasma β-EP level in the patients with PDN.

Objective To evaluate the role of interleukin-12 (IL-12) in the spinal cord in the maintenance of arthritic pain (AP) in rats.Methods Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 6-8 weeks,weighing 200-300 g, were randomly divided into 4 groups using a random number table: control group (group C, n=6);AP group (n=9);phosphate buffer solution (PBS) group (n=6);IL-12 antibody group (n =6).AP was induced by injecting 50 μl of complete Freund' s adjuvant into the ankle joint cavity of the left hindpaw of rats anesthetized with isoflurane.Goat anti-rat IL-12 antibody 1.50 μg (20 μl) was intrathecally injected on 9 days after establishment of the model in group IL-12 antibody, while 0.01 mol/L PBS (20 μl) was administered in group PBS.The mechanical paw withdrawal threshold to yon Frey filament stimulation (MWT) was measured before establishment of the model (baseline) and on 9 and 10 days after establishment of the model.The rats were sacrificed after the last measurement of pain threshold, and the L4 6 segments of the spinal cord were obtained for detection of IL-12 expression in the spinal dorsal horn (by immunofluorescence) , and the co-expression of IL-12 and glial fibrillary acidic protein (an astrocyte marker) was examined simultaneously in group AP.Results Compared with group C, the MWT was significantly decreased, and the expression of IL-12 was up-regulated on 9 and 10 days after establishment of the model in AP, PBS and IL-12 antibody groups.Compared with group AP, the MWT was significantly increased at 10 days after establishment of the model, and the expression of IL-12 was down-regulated in group IL-12 antibody, and no significant change was found in the MWT at 10 days after establishment of the model and expression of IL-12 in group PBS.IL-12 was co-expressed with glial fibrillary acidic protein in group AP.Conclusion IL-12 in the spinal cord is involved in the maintenance of AP in rats.

Objective To provide a fixtures and feasible injection method for rat tail vein injection.Methods SD rats were randomly divided into A group and B group,thirty rats in each group.Rats in group A fixed by a simple and practical experimental rats fixtures.And rats in group B fixed by common plastic drink bottles.Then the tail vein injection experiment was conducted respectively.Results It took one people 31.2 seconds in group A and 33.1 seconds in group B to finish the experiment from capture to fix rats,and took one people 68.4 seconds in group A to finish the experiment from capture to finish the injection,while it couldn't finish in group B.It took two people 25.4 seconds in group A and 25.8 seconds in group B to finish the experiment from capture to fix rats,and took 63.7 seconds in group A and 85.6 seconds in group B to finish the experiment from capture to finish the injection.Conclusion The experimental rats fixtures can increase the success rate of rats tail vein injection,and shorten the injection time.It is a safe and effective method.