Mitochondrial effects of L-ropivacaine, a new local anesthetic

The effects of the local anesthetics ropivacaine and bupivacaine were investigated on isolated rat liver mitochondria. The efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation was evaluated by measuring the rates of respiration and ATP synthesis and the magnitude of the transmembrane electrical potential (deltapsi). Bupivacaine did not alter the ADP-stimulated respiration but strongly affected the resting respiration, which was more than doubled at 0.6 mM. In addition, it decreased the transmembrane electrical potential, and the ATP synthesis rate (deltapsi was less than 100 mV at 0.6 mM). Ropivacaine did not alter the ADP-stimulated respiration, and the resting respiration seemed to be substantially unaffected up to 1.2 mM; a slight increase was observed at 1.8 and 2.4 mM. The transmembrane potential was decreased by anesthetic concentrations higher than 1.2 mM and ATP synthesis was consequently affected. The findings suggest that ropivacaine is less toxic than bupivacaine, in rat liver mitochondria.