Continuous infusion of intraoperative dexmedetomidine improves chronic pain after thoracotomy via the Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the role of continuous infusion of intraoperative dexmedetomidine in chronic pain after thoracotomy via the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway.

METHODS

Seventy-five patients undergoing thoracotomy were randomized into the control group (CG, n=37) and the observation group (OG, n=38). After induction of anesthesia for 30 min and until the end of surgery, the OG was infused with 0.4 μg/(kg·h) dexmedetomidine, and the CG was infused with the same amount of normal saline.

RESULTS

After operation, the OG had lower mean arterial pressure, heart rate, visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, incidence of chronic pain and neuropathic pain, TLR4 and NF-κB expressions, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) levels as well as epinephrine and norepinephrine levels than the CG ( < 0.05). The number of times the patient pressed the button for pain medication and the dose administered in the OG were less than those in the CG ( < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Continuous infusion of intraoperative dexmedetomidine can maintain perioperative hemodynamic stability in patients undergoing thoracotomy and reduce the stress response, postoperative pain, consumption of analgesic drugs, and the incidence of post-chronic and neuropathic pain, which is closely related to the reduction of inflammation via the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.