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ANESTHETIC PHARMACOLOGY

Enantioselective Actions of Bupivacaine and Ropivacaine on Coronary Vascular Resistance at Cardiotoxic Concentrations

Institut für Normale und Pathologische Physiologie, Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Department of Physiology, Physiologisches Institut, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, Germany

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Peter J. Hanley, Institut für Normale und Pathologische Physiologie, Universität Marburg, Deutschhausstrasse 2, 35037 Marburg, Germany. Address e-mail to hanley{at}mailer.uni-marburg.de.

The main concern with the use of the long-acting local anesthetics bupivacaine and ropivacaine is inadvertent IV injection, which exposes the heart to toxic drug concentrations. We tested the hypothesis that these chiral anesthetics exert enantioselective actions on coronary vascular tone, the regulation of which does not involve voltage-gated Na⁺ channels. Coronary perfusion pressure (CPP) was continuously measured in isolated hearts perfused via the aorta at a constant flow rate. This method provides a sensitive assay of coronary vascular resistance in the intact heart. In parallel experiments, we examined the effects of bupivacaine and ropivacaine on intracellular [Ca²⁺] in coronary endothelial cells. In addition, the effect of bupivacaine on mitochondrial membrane potential was assessed using isolated ventricular myocytes. Racemic bupivacaine and R(+)-bupivacaine produced similar dose-dependent decreases in CPP. However, S(-)-bupivacaine, S(-)-ropivacaine and R(+)-ropivacaine increased CPP. In contrast to adenosine triphosphate, neither racemic bupivacaine nor S(-)-ropivacaine changed endothelial intracellular [Ca²⁺], suggesting that these clinically used drugs do not modulate endothelial nitric oxide synthase. We also showed that the putative uncoupler bupivacaine did not depolarize mitochondria in intact ventricular myocytes. In conclusion, the long-acting local anesthetics have enantioselective actions on coronary resistance vessels. Racemic bupivacaine and R(+)-bupivacaine are coronary vasodilators, whereas S(-)-bupivacaine, S(-)-ropivacaine and, to a lesser extent, R(+)-ropivacaine all induce coronary vasoconstriction.

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