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The dose-dependent study of verapamil and diltiazem on spinal anesthesia in the rat
Yu-Wen Chen1, Chin-Chen Chu, Yu-Chung Chen
1Department of Physical Therapy, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Abstract:
The aim of this study evaluated the spinal anesthetic effect of verapamil and diltiazem. After rats were injected intrathecally with verapamil and diltiazem, dose-response curves were constructed. We evaluated the potency and duration of verapamil or diltiazem which compared with mepivacaine, a commonly used local anesthetic, in rats. Verapamil, diltiazem and mepivacaine produced a dose-dependent local anesthetic effect as spinal anesthesia. On a 50% effective dose (ED(50)) basis, the spinal anesthetic effect of verapamil was more potent than diltiazem or mepivacaine (P<0.01 for each comparison). On an equipotent basis (ED(25), ED(50), and ED(75)), the blockade duration of spinal anesthesia caused by diltiazem was longer than that caused by verapamil or mepivacaine (P<0.01 for each comparison). In summary, verapamil produced more potent spinal blockades, when compared with diltiazem or mepivacaine. Diltiazem demonstrated longer spinal blockades than did verapamil or mepivacaine.
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