Researchers tested the surfactants, which help drugs spread more easily through tissues, with combinations of lidocaine (QX-314 and QX-222). According to the report, the combinations stopped pain in rats for seven hours, and in one test, the animals could maintain balance and stand, while tolerating having their paws placed on hot plates for a period of time.
In the study, the researchers noted that no animals developed self-injury of their hind paws (which is controversially associated with pain) and that no nerve injury was seen using PCR analysis. They noted that the findings could indicate potential practical clinical use, but much more research was needed before the drugs could be tested in humans. The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
The L.A. Times report notes that finding an anesthetic that could reduce pain without impairing function could be useful, especially in childbirth, as women would be able to effectively use their muscles without feeling any pain.
Read the L.A. Times‘ report on new anesthetics.
Read the study: Prolonged duration local anesthesia with minimal toxicity.
