Inhibition of axonal transport in nerves chronically treated with local anesthetics

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Abstract

Several investigators have used cuffs impregnated with local anesthetics to chronically block impulses in nerve trunks. The present study was under-taken to see if this technique also affected axonal transport. Silicone-rubber cuffs were applied to rat sciatic nerves. The cuff on one side contained a local anesthetic base: the contralateral nerve received a control cuff lacking anesthetic. Two days later nerves were removed and processed to demonstrate catecholamines (CA) or cholinesterase (ChE). In other rats l-[3H] leucine was injected in the vicinity of sciatic nerve motoneurons, and the transport of labelled protein studied. Cuffs containing Lidocaine, Mepivicaine, and Procaine caused CA, ChE and labelled protein to accumulate proximal to the cuff. Bupivicaine cuffs were less potent and the effects of Benzocaine cuffs were not distinguishable from control cuffs. It was concluded that chronic treatment with local anesthetics inhibits axonal transport in addition to chronically blocking nerve impulses. The technique of chronic impulse blockade with anesthetic-containing cuffs cannot be used to distinguish between neurotrophic effects mediated by nerve impulses or by axonal transport of hypothetical regulatory substances, since both processes are affected by the technique.

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1

This study was supported in part by the Medical Research Council of Canada (Grant MA 5198). The author is grateful to the pharmaceutical companies who donated the agents used in this study, and to Ms. G. Bilsborough for technical assistance.

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