2024 Volume 44 Issue 7 Pages 636-643
Local anesthetics have been used in clinical practice for more than 100 years, and as science has progressed, a wide variety of pharmacological actions have been revealed. In the pharmacological actions of local anesthetics, it is important to understand the mechanism of blockade of voltage-gated Na+ channels（Nav）based on their basic properties. Actions on a variety of other targets also modify local anesthetic actions. Furthermore, the analgesic effects of systemic lidocaine administration have long been known, and recent systematic reviews have confirmed its efficacy. It is speculated that a wide variety of mechanisms may be involved. Other relevant findings include the potential of Nav expressed in non-excitable cells as a therapeutic target and the study of Nav subtype-selective blocking agents, which have received considerable attention.
