ANTITHROMBOTIC AND THROMBOLYTIC EFFECTS OF LIDOCAINE AND RELATED COMPOUNDS ON LASER-INDUCED MICROVASCULAR INJURY

Abstract

In addition to an amply documented local anaesthetic effect, lidocaine has been demonstrated to reduce the adhesion of leucocytes to blood vessel walls (1). This observation, together with further experimental (2) and clinical (3) findings, has indicated that an antithrombotic effect is attributable to lidocaine.
The purpose of the present investigation was to study whether topically or intravenously (i. v.) applied amide-type local anaesthetics, e. g. lidocaine and bupivacaine, would influence microvascular thrombosis, and whether they would restitute microcirculation after laser-induced thrombus formation in the hamster cheek pouch. It was further intended to record whether the major lidocaine metabolite, mono-ethyl-glycinexylidide, and tocainide (an antiarrhythmic compound, structurally related to lidocaine but suitable for oral administration) produced microvascular effects similar to that of lidocaine.
The investigation was carried out in fore series: two for the purpose of recording the formation of a thrombus using laser microbeam irradiation subsequent to topical or i. v. application of the local anaesthetic (Series I and II); and the other to study the circulatory restitution effects on topical or i. v. application of the compounds onto already formed thrombi (Series II and IV).