buprenorphine and flunixin

The laboratory mouse is commonly used as a sophisticated model in biomedical research. However, experiments requiring major surgery frequently lead to serious postoperative complications and death, particularly if genetically modified mice with anatomical and physiological abnormalities undergo extensive interventions such as transmitter implantation. Telemetric transmitters are used to study cardiovascular physiology and diseases. Telemetry yields reliable and accurate measurement of blood pressure in the free-roaming, unanaesthetized and unstressed mouse, but data recording is hampered substantially if measurements are made in an exercising mouse. Thus, we aimed to optimize transmitter implantation to improve telemetric signal recording in exercising mice as well as to establish a postoperative care regimen that promotes convalescence and survival of mice after major surgery in general.. We report an optimized telemetric transmitter implantation technique (fixation of the transmitter body on the back of the mouse with stainless steel wires) for subsequent measurement of arterial blood pressure during maximal exercise on a treadmill. This technique was used on normal (wildtype) mice and on transgenic mice with anatomical and physiological abnormalities due to constitutive overexpression of recombinant human erythropoietin. To promote convalescence of the animals after surgery, we established a regimen for postoperative intensive care: pain treatment (flunixine 5 mg/kg bodyweight, subcutaneously, twice per day) and fluid therapy (600 microl, subcutaneously, twice per day) were administrated for 7 days. In addition, warmth and free access to high energy liquid in a drinking bottle were provided for 14 days following transmitter implantation. This regimen led to a substantial decrease in overall morbidity and mortality. The refined postoperative care and surgical technique were particularly successful in genetically modified mice with severely compromised physiological capacities.. Recovery and survival rates of mice after major surgery were significantly improved by careful management of postoperative intensive care regimens including key supportive measures such as pain relief, administration of fluids, and warmth. Furthermore, fixation of the blood pressure transmitter provided constant reliable telemetric recordings in exercising mice.

Topics: Analgesics; Animals; Buprenorphine; Clonixin; Erythropoietin; Humans; Laboratory Animal Science; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Physical Conditioning, Animal; Postoperative Care; Postoperative Complications; Surgical Procedures, Operative; Telemetry

Effective postoperative analgesia is essential for improving patient well-being and decreasing morbidity. Historical recommendations of postoperative analgesics have been based on their effectiveness in attenuating a nociceptive response in animals that have not undergone a surgical procedure, potentially leading to over- or underestimation of postoperative analgesia requirements. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of four analgesics in a model of postsurgical pain, which involves surgical incision of the plantar aspect of the hindpaw in halothane-anesthetized rats. The hindpaw was selected as the injury site because it permits quantitative assessment of mechanical sensitivity, which increases as a consequence of tissue damage. As the primary endpoints for postoperative recovery, mechanical sensitivity and weight gain were determined for 5 days. Analgesic regimens included buprenorphine (0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 mg/kg subcutaneously [s.c.]; 1 ml/kg), fentanyl (0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg intraperitoneally [i.p.]; 1 ml/kg), flunixin meglumine (1.1 and 2.5 mg/kg, s.c.; 1 ml/kg) and acetaminophen (100 and 300 mg/kg orally; approximately 3 & 10 ml/kg). Drugs were administered once daily on days 0, 1, and 2 postoperatively. Buprenorphine, fentanyl, and flunixin all significantly decreased mechanical sensitivity, but buprenorphine provided the highest degree of analgesia during the postoperative treatment period. However, rats treated with buprenorphine exhibited heightened mechanical sensitivity once treatment was discontinued on day 2. Moreover, buprenorphine also compromised weight gain as compared to that of vehicle-treated animals. These findings suggest that potent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, such as flunixin, may be useful alternatives to opioid-based agents for the control of acute postoperative pain associated with a minor surgical procedure and highlight the importance of assessing the risk-benefit ratio when selecting analgesics and dosing regimens.

Topics: Acetaminophen; Analgesia; Analgesics; Animals; Biomechanical Phenomena; Buprenorphine; Clonixin; Fentanyl; Hindlimb; Kinetics; Male; Models, Animal; Pain Measurement; Pain, Postoperative; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Weight Gain

Six 1-month-old lambs were anaesthetized for cervical spinal cord surgery. Anaesthesia was induced with intravenous midazolam (0.5 mg/kg) then halothane delivered by mask in an O2-N2O mixture. After endotracheal intubation, the lungs were ventilated mechanically and anaesthesia maintained with halothane and nitrous oxide. Buprenorphine and flunixin were given before and after surgery, and the wound margin was infiltrated with 0.5% bupivacaine solution. Neuromuscular block was produced with repeated injections of atracurium; neuromuscular transmission was restored with edrophonium. Lambs made a rapid recovery without obvious signs of discomfort, sedation, or weakness after operations lasting up to 156 min. Anaesthesia was induced in a seventh lamb using etomidate, which probably contributed to death during recovery from anaesthesia.

Topics: Anesthesia; Anesthetics; Animals; Atracurium; Buprenorphine; Cervical Vertebrae; Clonixin; Female; Halothane; Midazolam; Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents; Nitrous Oxide; Sheep; Spinal Cord; Vecuronium Bromide

Rats underwent a midline laparotomy and received buprenorphine, buprenorphine together with carprofen, flunixin or carprofen alone while a control group received saline. Food and water intakes and body weight were reduced following surgery in the saline control group. The degree of depression of these variables was significantly reduced by the administration of either buprenorphine or carprofen. In all groups of rats locomotor activity was depressed following surgery. Analgesic administration had little influence on these changes in activity, although administration of two doses of buprenorphine (0.05 mg/kg, 9 h interval) reduced the degree of depression in comparison to the saline control group. If the depression in food and water consumption is related to the presence of post-operative pain, then these findings suggest that analgesics should be administered to rats following surgical procedures.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Body Weight; Buprenorphine; Carbazoles; Clonixin; Drinking; Drug Therapy, Combination; Eating; Laparotomy; Male; Motor Activity; Pain, Postoperative; Rats; Rats, Wistar