The effects of Ropivacaine and its Combination with Dexmedetomidine and Dexamethasone on Neural Apoptosis

Background: Neurotoxicity effects of anesthetics in different age groups is a major concern regarding neural injuries. It is reasonable to recognize the neurotoxicity risks of anesthetic drugs and their combinations. Materials and Methods: A total of 16 mice (Mus musculus) weighing 22 to 30 gr were randomly divided into four drug groups (control, Ropivacaine, Ropivacaine + Dexmedetomidine, Ropivacaine + Dexamethasone). 24 hours after unilateral injection of drugs into the femoral nerve of mice, the mice were killed and their femoral nerve was removed. Hematoxylin-eosin tissue staining was used to evaluate changes in the effects of the drugs, and nerve samples were extracted to measure TLR4 and caspase 3 expressions. After Western blotting, the protein expression level was checked between different groups. Results: Ropivacaine in combination with dexamethasone caused less damage to the rat nerve cells. The combination of ropivacaine with dexamethasone (p=0.53 and p=0.46) compared to the combination of ropivacaine with dexmedetomidine relatively had better results in terms of cytotoxicity. Conclusion: A combination of ropivacaine with dexamethasone reduces neurotoxicity risk.