Unilateral obstruction or injury to the vas deferens can result in significant injury to the contralateral testicle. Although various pathways have been proposed, the mechanism of contralateral testicular deterioration remains controversial. The present animal study was performed to evaluate the effects of unilateral vasectomy on ipsilateral and contralateral testicular histology and fertility in rats that were chemically sympathectomized neonatally. The study comprised 40 male albino rats: 20 received a placebo and the other 20 underwent chemical sympathectomy neonatally. When 60 days old, each group of 20 rats was divided into two groups that underwent either a sham operation or an operation to create unilateral left vasectomy. Eight weeks after surgery, each male rat was housed with two known fertile female rats for 25 days, and then their testes were harvested. Mean seminiferous tubular diameters (MSTD) and mean testicular biopsy scores (MTBS) were determined for each testis. Although MSTD and MTBS were not significantly different between groups, chemical sympathectomy prevented the decrease in total fertility rates of the rats with unilateral left vasectomy in our study. Prevention of this decrease by chemical sympathectomy suggests that the sympathetic nervous system may play a role in the testicular degeneration associated with vasectomy.
Animals ; Female ; Fertility/*drug effects ; Male ; Oxidopamine/toxicity ; Rats ; *Sympathectomy, Chemical ; Testis/drug effects/*pathology ; *Vasectomy

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of chemical lumbar sympathectomy (CLS) on relieving refractory pain in the lower limbs.

METHODSTwenty-four patients with refractory pain in the lower limbs underwent CLS under X-ray guidance, and 2 ml contrast agent was injected at 1/3 of the second L2 vertebrae (the L2 sympathetic ganglion). Lidocaine was then injected followed by injection of 7% phenol for performing CLS. The visual analog scale was used to assess the pain severity before and after CLS. The effect of CLS on relieving lower limb pain was compared with that of oral pain-relieving medication.

RESULTSThe lower limb pain was obviously relieved as shown by significantly decreased VAS scores in these patients after CLS. CLS exhibited a much more potent effect of pain relief in the lower limbs than the oral medication.

CONCLUSIONCLS produces significant analgesic effects to relieve refractory pain in the lower limbs.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Analgesia ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Lidocaine ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pain, Intractable ; therapy ; Phenol ; Sympathectomy, Chemical ; methods

In the present study, using fast cyclic voltammetry (FCV), atomic absorption/flame emission spectrophotometry and immunohistochemistry, we investigated the correlation between iron levels and degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in rat nigrostriatal system during the early 6-OHDA lesions in the medial forebrain bundle (MFB). The results showed that 1 d or 3 d after lesions in MFB, there was a 45% or 66% reduction, respectively, in the density of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactive cells in the substantia nigra (SN) of the lesioned side accompanied by an increase in iron staining intensity and iron concentration; while there was no change in dopamine (DA) release in the striatum (Str) of the lesioned side compared with the unlesioned side and the normal rats. There was no difference in the iron staining and concentration of SN and DA release of Str on the lesioned side between one-day group and three-days group. These results suggest that an iron level elevation in SN may be involved at the early stage of degeneration of DA neurons in SN. However, DA release in Str was unchanged due to the immense compensatory mechanism of DA system.
Animals ; Corpus Striatum ; metabolism ; pathology ; Dopamine ; metabolism ; Female ; Iron ; metabolism ; Medial Forebrain Bundle ; physiology ; Nerve Degeneration ; Neurons ; physiology ; Oxidopamine ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Substantia Nigra ; metabolism ; pathology ; Sympathectomy, Chemical

BACKGROUND: To investigate the role of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) in moxibustion-induced immunomodulation, the effects of chemical sympathectomy on moxibustion-induced changes in splenic NK cell cytotoxicity, T and B cell proliferation were studied in Sprague-Dawley male rats. METHODS: Chemical sympathectomy was achieved with intraperitoneal injection of 6-hydroxydopamine 50 mg/kg/day for 3 successive days. Direct moxibustion (6-minute interval, 9 moxa ball, each of which weighing 0.007 g and burning for 40 seconds) was applied on unilateral anterior tibial muscle region where Zusanli (ST36) acupoint is located, once a day for 7 successive days. NK cell cytotoxicity was measured by 4hr-51Cr release assay. Mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation was analyzed by [3H]-thymidine incorporation assay. RESULTS: NK cell cytotoxicity was suppressed by moxibustion, more in sympathectomized rats than in vehicle-treated rats. T cell proliferation induced by concanavalin A was not affected by moxibustion. B cell proliferation induced by lipopolysaccharide showed no significant change in vehicle- treated rats, but an increase in sympathectomized rats by moxibustion. Sympathectomy alone induced augmentation of NK cell cytotoxicity and suppression of T cell proliferation. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that SNS has no direct relation with moxibution-induced immunomodulation but has an important role in the mechanism to keep the homeostasis of immune system by tonically inhibiting excessive changes of various immune components.
Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; B-Lymphocytes ; Burns ; Cell Proliferation ; Concanavalin A ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Immune System ; Immunomodulation* ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Killer Cells, Natural ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Moxibustion ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Oxidopamine ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spleen* ; Sympathectomy ; Sympathectomy, Chemical* ; Sympathetic Nervous System ; T-Lymphocytes

BACKGROUND: A non-randomized, uncontrolled study was undertaken with a retrospective medical record review to evaluate the effect of pain relief of chemical lumbar sympathectomy in patients with peripheral vascular occlusive disease. This was conducted to assess whether the long term outcome of ischemic limbs could be changed and to identify predictable medical factors of patients who would be helped by this procedure. METHODS: A total of 47 patients with Buerger's disease (n = 20) and arteriosclerosis obliterans (n = 17) referred by vascular surgery for the management of ischemic pain were enrolled. All other conservative and surgical management efforts had already failed and were not indicated. The following were evaluated before and after the neurolytic lumbar sympathetic blocks: the stages of disease by Fontaine classification, main sites and numbers of occlusion, pain scores before and after the procedure, physical findings, amputation sites, and medications as well as amounts given and other risk factors. RESULTS: Buerger's disease tends to progress rapidly and aggressively. It is more painful than arteriosclerosis obliterans and is peripherally involved, with higher incidences of complications. Chemical sympathectomy has significant pain relief effects in both groups. Differences in long term outcome measured by amputation could not be found in both groups. No significant risk factors could be identified. No side effects were reported in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Chemical lumbar sympathectomy has a good analgesic effect for pain in walking. This, however showed no long-term limb-saving effect.
Amputation ; Arterial Occlusive Diseases* ; Arteriosclerosis Obliterans* ; Arteriosclerosis* ; Classification ; Extremities ; Humans ; Incidence ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sympathectomy ; Sympathectomy, Chemical ; Thromboangiitis Obliterans* ; Walking

BACKGROUND: Monitoring the skin temperature changes of the palm during video endoscopic thoracic sympathicotomy has been used as a measure of the success of the surgery. When general anesthesia is used during sympathicotomy, increases of skin temperature on the ipsilateral palm is less than that observed in percutaneous chemical sympathectomy. Contralateral skin temperature has been found to be decreased. So we measured palmar skin temperature on both sides during sympathicotomy to learn whether we can use it as a indicator of success under general anesthesia, and to see contralateral sympathetic responses. METHODS: Thirty patients have been examined. The skin temperature of both their thenar areas was measured before sympathicotomy, and 5 and 10 minutes after sympathicotomy under general anesthesia, using N2O, O2, enflurane, vecuronium. RESULTS: Under general anesthesia, there was a significant increase of post-sympathicotomy skin temperature on the ipsilateral palm, in contrast to a decrease on contralateral ones. The absolute value was minimal but statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Thoracic sympathicotomy may producc simultaneous but different types of sympathetic response on both sides of the hands, though this response is lessened with a use of general anesthesia because inhalation anesthetics induced central and peripheral sympathetic inhibition. We conclude that continuous and careful monitoring of palmar skin temperature yields useful information about intraoperative success during thoracic sympathicotomy under general anesthesia and that we should conduct further study of the contralateral sympathetic response.
Anesthesia, General ; Anesthetics, Inhalation ; Enflurane ; Hand ; Humans ; Hyperhidrosis* ; Skin Temperature* ; Skin* ; Sympathectomy, Chemical ; Vecuronium Bromide

BACKGROUND: Neuropathic pain produced by nerve injury has the characteristics of enhanced pain responses - allodynia. To understand the pathophysiology of the neuropathic pain, We evaluated the effect of NMDA antagonists and chemical sympathectomy on the c-fos mRNA expression. METHODS: We have divided rats(Sprague-Dawley, N=24) that their left L5 and L6 nerve were tightly ligated into two groups. In NMDA antagonist group(N=17), We injected 10 g MK801 and 10 g 5-amino-phosphonovalerate in three ways, intrathecally before the ligation, after ligation and subcutaneous continuously. Then behavioral tests for mechanical allodynia and cold allodynia were performed. After the test of allodynia,the expression of c-fos were assessed by Northern blot hybridization. In chemical sympathectomy group(N=7), We injected 70 mg/kg guanethidine into the peritoneum in two ways, before the ligation and after ligation. Then same methods were performed in NMDA antagonist group as well. RESULTS: Intrathecal NMDA antagonists before the ligation supressed the elevation of c-fos mRNA expression. Intrathecal NMDA antagonists on the 7 days after the ligation reduced the c-fos mRNA expression and neuropathic pain. Continuous treatment of subcutaneous NMDA antagonists supressed the development of neuropathic pain and the elevation of c-fos mRNA expression. Chemical sympathectomy before the ligation did not supress the elevation of c-fos mRNA expression. Chemical sympathectomy on the 7 days after the ligation reduced neuropathic pain and the elevation of c-fos mRNA expression. CONCLUSIONS: NMDA receptor is related to the induction and maitenance of neuropatic pain, and sympathetic nervous system has a main role in the already induced neuropathic pain.
Animals ; Blotting, Northern ; Dizocilpine Maleate ; Guanethidine ; Hyperalgesia ; Ligation ; N-Methylaspartate* ; Neuralgia ; Peritoneum ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger* ; Sympathectomy* ; Sympathectomy, Chemical ; Sympathetic Nervous System

PURPOSE: The chemical sympathectomy is now widely performed procedure for vascular diseases of extremities. But it has been reported that this procedure may produce ejaculatory failure in men. We investigated the changes of the contractility of the vas deferens after chemical sympathectomy by 6-hydroxydopamine, and whether these changes can be recovered by the pretreatment of testosterone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The rats were divided into 5 groups, which were 1) control 2) 6-hydroxydopamine 100mg group 3) 6-hydroxydopamine 100mg + testosterone100mg group 4) 6-hydroxydopamine 200mg group 5) 6-hydroxydopamine 200mg + testosterone 100mg group. 6-hydroxydopamine was injected intraperitoneally in each group at day 1, 3, 5 and killed at day 6. Testosterone was Injected intraperitoneally 30 minutes prior to 6-hydroxydopamine injection at day 1 . The vas deferns was quickly dissected out and the contractilities by electrical field stimulation, phenylephrine, acetylcholine and KCI were compared with control group. RESULTS: In prostatic vas, the phasic contractions were reduced only in 6-hydroxy- dopamine 200mg group and recovered incompletely by testosterone. Tonic contractions in prostatic vats were reduced in 6-hydroxydopamine looms group and 6-hydroxydopamine 100mg+testosterone 100mg group at 4, 8, 16Hz field stimulation and there was no significant difference between the two groups. The contractilies in 6-hydroxydopamine 200mg group and 6-hydroxydopamine 200mg+testosterone 100mg group were reduced at all frequencies, and testosterone pretreatment group showed slightly recovered contractility at 32, 64Hz, but less than those of control. In epididymal vas, the phasic and tonic contractions were reduced in all groups compared to control except in 6-hydroxydopamine 100mg+testosterone looms group at 32, 64Hz. The effects of 6-hydroxydopamine on phenylephrine or acetylcholine induced contraction showed supersensitivity, however, testosterone pretreatments had no effects on their supersensitivity. In the response to KCI, there was no difference in all the experimental groups. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that chemical sympathectomy results in decreased contraction of the vas deferens, which is the main cause of ejaculatory failure. Although there is some protective effect by testosterone pretreatment, but it is thought that it is not so sufficient to prevent ejaculatory failure. But we suggest that there are possibilities of protective effect of testosterone by altering the dose and time of administration.
Acetylcholine ; Animals ; Dopamine ; Extremities ; Humans ; Male ; Oxidopamine* ; Phenylephrine ; Rats* ; Sympathectomy* ; Sympathectomy, Chemical ; Testosterone* ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted ; Vas Deferens* ; Vascular Diseases

BACKGROUND: Treatments of neuropathic pain were included Ca blocker, steroid medication, epidural or spinal local anesthetics, intravenous reserpine and phenoxybenzamine and operative sympathectomy. This study was performed to evaluation the effects of laser radiation and intraperitoneal guanethidine to the neuropathic pain. METHODS: The neuropathic pain were produced by the tight ligation of L5 and L6 spinal nerves in the adult rats (Sprague-Dawley) withdrawl response to the non-noxious stimulation(mechanical allodynia) were increased and response to the cold stimulation (cold allodynia) were increased too. After that, we injected 50 mg/kg guanethidine intraperitoneally and radiated the He-Ne laser to the operated site to evaluate the effect of chemical sympathectomy and laser radiation. RESULTS: Mechanical allodynia was significantly reduced(p<0.05) 1st and 2nd day after chemical sympathectomy. Cold allodynia was significantly reduced(p<0.05) 1st day after chemical sympathectomy. Mechanical and cold allodynia were not significantly reduced after laser radiation. CONCLUSIONS: It was suggested that the chemical sympathectomy via intraperitoneal injection of guanethidine 50 mg/kg had the therapeutic effect of neuropathic pain in the surgically operated rat which was ligated L5, 6 spinal nerve.
Adult ; Anesthetics, Local ; Animals ; Guanethidine ; Humans ; Hyperalgesia ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Ligation ; Neuralgia* ; Phenoxybenzamine ; Rats ; Reserpine ; Spinal Nerves ; Sympathectomy ; Sympathectomy, Chemical* ; Sympathetic Nervous System

BACKGROUND: We studied the time course of gene expression of dynorphin, enkephalin, c-fos, and the changes of allodynia, and the effect of chemical sympathectomy on the gene expression and allodynia in neuropathic rat. METHODS: In two groups of rat (Sprague-Dawley), the left L5 and L6 spinal nerves were tight ligated. In gene expression group (N=25), behavioral tests for mechanical allodynia and cold allodynia were perfomed for the next two weeks. After the test of allodynia, the expression of dynorphin, enkephalin, c-fos were assessed by Northern blot hybridization. In chemical sympathectomy group (N=16), after chemical sympathectomy (guanethidine 70 mg/kg intraperitoneally, from postoperative 7 days to 9 days), the changes of allodynia and the gene expression of enkephalin, c-fos were tested. RESULTS: Mechanical allodynia and cold allodynia was developed on the postoperative 3, 5, 7, 14 days. Preprodynorphin mRNA expression was reached peak level at the postoperative 8 hrs, sustained increase by the postoperative 3 days, but preproenkephalin mRNA expression increased slightly after operation. c-Fos mRNA expression was increased immediately at the postoperative 30 min, 1 hr, returned to normal level thereafter, and increased again on the postoperative 3, 5, 7 days that neuropathic pain was developed. Mechanical allodynia and cold allodynia were decreased by chemical sympathectomy. The increased c-fos mRNA expression and pain at postoperative 7 days was reduced by chemical sympathectomy. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the transient gene expression of dynorphin and c-fos after tight ligation of L5 and L6 spinal nerves induces the development neuropathic pain, and late c-fos expression is related to neuropathic pain.
Animals ; Blotting, Northern ; Dynorphins* ; Enkephalins* ; Gene Expression* ; Hyperalgesia ; Ligation ; Neuralgia ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger ; Spinal Nerves ; Sympathectomy, Chemical