Background and Objectives Clonidine, buprenorphine, dexamethasone, and midazolam (C,B,D,M) have been used to prolong perineural local anesthesia in the absence of data on the influence of these adjuvants on local anesthetic (LA)-induced neurotoxicity. Therefore, the impact of these adjuvants on ropivacaine (R)-induced death of isolated sensory neurons was assessed. Methods The trypan blue exclusion assay was used to assess death of sensory neurons isolated from adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Drugs were applied, alone or in combination, for 2 or 24 hrs at 37°C. Results Neuronal viability was halved by 24 hr exposure to R (2.5 mg/mL), far exceeding the neurotoxicity of C, B, D, or M (at 2–100 times estimated clinical concentrations). Plain M at twice the estimated clinical concentration produced a small but significant increase in neurotoxicity at 24 hr. After 2 hr exposure, high concentrations of B, C, and M increased the neurotoxicity of R; the combination of R+M killed over 90% of neurons. Estimated clinical concentrations of C+B (plus 66 µg/mL D) had no influence on (i) R-induced neurotoxicity, (ii) the increased neurotoxicity associated with the combination of R+M, or (iii) the neurotoxicity associated with estimated clinical concentrations of M. There was dose-response neurotoxicity with 133 µg/mL D combined with R+C+B Conclusions Results with R re-affirm the need to identify ways to mitigate LA-induced neurotoxicity. While having no protective effect on R-induced neurotoxicity in vitro, future research with adjuvants should address if the C+B+D combination can enable reducing R concentrations needed to achieve equi-analgesia (and/or provide equal or superior duration, in preclinical in vivo models).

Background and Objectives There is increasing clinical use of adjuvant drugs to prolong the duration of local anesthetic-induced block of peripheral nerves. However, the mechanistic understanding regarding drug interactions between these compounds in the periphery is quite limited. Accordingly, we undertook this study to determine whether selected adjuvants are efficacious in blocking action potential propagation in peripheral nerves at concentrations used clinically, and whether these drugs influence peripheral nerve block produced by local anesthetics. Methods Isolated rat sciatic nerves were used to assess (1) the efficacy of buprenorphine, clonidine, dexamethasone, or midazolam, alone and in combination, on action potential propagation; and (2) their influence on the blocking actions of local anesthetics ropivacaine and lidocaine. Compound action potentials (CAPs) from A- and C-fibers were studied before and after drug application. Results At estimated clinical concentrations, neither buprenorphine nor dexamethasone affected either A- or C-waves of the CAP. Clonidine produced a small, but significant attenuation of the C-wave amplitude. Midazolam attenuated both A- and C-wave amplitudes, but with greater potency on the C-wave. The combination of clonidine, buprenorphine, and dexamethasone had no influence on the potency or duration of local anesthetic- or midazolam-induced block of A-and C-waves of the CAP. Conclusions These results suggest that the reported clinical efficacy of clonidine, buprenorphine, and dexamethasone influence the actions of local anesthetics via indirect mechanisms. Further identification of these indirect mechanisms may enable the development of novel approaches to achieve longer duration, modality-specific peripheral nerve block.

Our results indicate that processes underlying midazolam-induced nerve block and neurotoxicity are separable, and suggest that selective activation of TSPO may facilitate modality-selective nerve block while minimizing the potential for neurotoxicity.