The use of granisetron on bupivacaine induced sciatic nerve block in rats

Abstract

Purpose

The effects of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT3) receptor antagonists on regional anaesthesia are complex and unclear. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that granisetron, a selective 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, would decrease the duration of motor block, sensory block, and proprioception in a dose-dependent fashion in a rat model of bupivacaine-induced sciatic nerve blockade.

Materials and methods

Thirty-eight male Wistar Albino rats that received unilateral sciatic nerve blocks were randomly divided into five experimental groups. Group B received a perineural of 0.3 ml of bupivacaine alone; Group BG800 received perineural 0.3 ml of bupivacaine and 800 µg of granisetron 10 min later; Group BG1200 received perineural 0.3 ml of bupivacaine and 1200 µg of granisetron 10 min later; Group BG1200IP received a perineural 0.3 ml of bupivacaine and an intraperitoneal injection of 1200 µg of granisetron 10 min later; and Group S was sham operated. A blinded investigator assessed motor, sensory and proprioception function every 10 min until the return of normal function.

Results

The medians for recovery times in Group B, Group BG800, Group BG1200, and Group BG1200IP were 105, 64, 85, and 120 min for motor function, respectively; 80, 64, 84, and 104 min for sensory function; 80, 63, 85, and 108 min were calculated for the proprioception function. The time to the return of normal motor, sensory, and proprioception function was not statistically significantly different between the groups (p > 0.05). Motor block did not develop in any of the rats in Group S.

Conclusions

Local and systemic application of granisetron was not significantly decrease the duration of bupivacaine induced motor, sensory, and proprioception block of sciatic nerve in rat.

Keywords:

• Bupivacaine
• granisetron
• sciatic nerve block
• rat

Acknowledgements

This study was carried out within the scope of the first researcher’s doctoral thesis. We thank the Selcuk University Scientific Research Projects Commission for the financial support provided.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Financial supports, such as drug and laboratory fees during the research process were supported by the decision of the Selçuk University Scientific Research Projects Commission with project number 15102033.