Beneficial effects of ropivacaine in rat experimental colitis

Ropivacaine, a new, long-acting local anesthetic agent, has been shown to h ave beneficial effects in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. Treatment wi th this drug results in prompt symptomatic relief. The aim of this study wa s to examine the effects of ropivacaine on mucosal healing and to investiga te whether ropivacaine can restore the decreased colonic contractility seen in the diseased state. Colitis was induced in rats by a single intrarectal administration of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid. Mucosal healing was asses sed after 1 week of therapy. The effects on colonic contractility were exam ined either after 1 week of treatment or by application of the drugs to unt reated, inflamed rat colon segments placed in organ baths. After the induct ion of colitis, daily intracolonic treatment with ropivacaine for 1 week re duced morphological damage and myeloperoxidase activity. One week of treatm ent also restored the contractile response to acetylcholine. By adding ropi vacaine directly to untreated inflamed colonic segments in organ baths, the contractile response to acetylcholine was increased compared with controls . For comparison, the effects of budesonide and 5-aminosalicylic acid were also examined. Ropivacaine improved mucosal healing and restored colonic mo tor activity in experimental colitis, similar to budesonide but superior to 5-aminosalicylic acid.