Effect of Vasoconstrictive Agents Added to Lidocaine on Intravenous Lidocaine-induced Convulsions in Rats

Background: Epinephrine is reported to decrease the threshold of intravenous lidocaine-induced convulsions. However, the mechanism underlying this effect is not clear. Therefore, we carried out a study to examine the role of vasopressor-induced hypertension.

Methods: Fifty-six awake Wistar rats were assigned to seven groups of eight. All groups received a continuous intravenous infusion of lidocaine at a rate of 4 mg *symbol* kg sup -1 *symbol* min sup -1 until generalized convulsions occurred. The control group (group C) received plain lidocaine. The acute hypertensive groups received lidocaine with epinephrine (group E), norepinephrine (group N), or phenylephrine (group P) to increase mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) to 150 plus/minus 5 mm Hg. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) was added to prevent an increase in mean arterial pressure in the remaining three groups (vasopressor-SNP groups).

Results: The acute hypertensive groups required significantly smaller cumulative doses of lidocaine to produce convulsions compared with control (C - 41.5 plus/minus 2.9 > E - 24.1 plus/minus 2.7, N = 27.1 plus/minus 2.8, P = 26.7 plus/minus 2.5 mg *symbol* kg sup -1; values are mean plus/minus SD, P < 0.01) In addition, plasma lidocaine concentrations (C = 11.0 plus/minus 0.7 > E = 7.4 plus/minus 0.5, N = 7.9 plus/minus 0.6, P = 8.1 plus/minus 0.8 micro gram *symbol* ml sup -1, P < 0.01) and brain lidocaine concentrations (C = 50.9 plus/minus 4.5 > E = 32.6 plus/minus 4.2, N - 34.5 plus/minus 4.8, P - 37.1 plus/minus 4.5 micro gram *symbol* g sup -1, P < 0.01) were less in the acute hypertensive groups at the onset of convulsions. In the vasopressor-SNP groups, the plasma and brain lidocaine concentrations at the onset of convulsions returned to the control values, although epinephrine and norepinephrine, but not phenylephrine, still decreased cumulative convulsant doses of lidocaine significantly (P < 0.01) compared with control (E + SNP = 30.8 plus/minus 2.9 < N + SNP = 34.8 plus/minus 2.8, P < 0.01) < P + SNP = 40.2 plus/minus 3.0 mg *symbol* kg sup -1, P < 0.01). The brain/plasma concentration ratios were similar for the seven groups.