Intravenous Midazolam Suppresses Noxiously Evoked Activity of Spinal Wide Dynamic Range Neurons in Cats

The effect of midazolam on the end-tidal concentration of isoflurane necessary to prevent movement in dogs

“…Intrathecal administration of midazolam produced dose‐dependent antinociception to thermally evoked pain in rats (Yanez et al. 1990), and intravenous midazolam suppressed noxiously evoked activity of spinal wide dynamic range neurons in cats (Sumida et al. 1995).…”

“…The MAC reducing effects of midazolam may be due to its centrally mediated sedative effects or its spinally mediated antinociception or the combination (Yanez et al. 1990; Sumida et al. 1995; Nishiyama 2006).…”

Pre‐ and postsynaptic inhibitory control in the spinal cord dorsal horn

“…Behavioral studies in rodents have shown that intrathecal administration of bicuculline or strychnine induces nocifensive responses and lowers nociceptive threshold in rats, while injection of GABA or glycine is antinociceptive under most circumstances . Furthermore, enhancing GABA A receptor function by spinal application of GABA or a positive allosteric modulator, such as midazolam, depresses noxious stimulus‐evoked activity in spinal cord neurons . Loss of synaptic inhibition is widely accepted as an important factor contributing to the generation and maintenance of chronic pain.…”