Noxious anaesthesia drugs that are used commonly worldwide stimulate nerves to cause irritation long after the operation is over, a research team from Georgetown University Medical Center said.
During their experiment on mice, researchers studied two specific receptors on the nerves cells, known as TRPV1 and TRPA1, which they believed were activated by the noxious drugs. TRPV1 and TRPA1 are two receptors that are often expressed together and are known to react to irritants like mustard, garlic and wasabi.
Researchers tested the drugs on mice bred to lack the TRPA1 gene and found they showed no pain when the drugs were used, unlike normal animals. Studies confirmed that TRPA1 was activated by noxious anesthetics.
Majority of doctors already use a painkilling drug to lessen this effect before delivering the anaesthetic itself. However, the effects of the irritant is not just short-lived, but lingers on long after both the painkiller and the anaesthetic have worn off, studies suggest.
Published in the June 23 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study could prompt the choice of different drugs. Researchers hope that the findings will lead to the development of new anesthetics that don't cause post-surgical pain.
