Proteomic changes induced by anaesthesia and muscle relaxant treatment prior to electroconvulsive therapy.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in patients. Prior to treatment, patients are usually given short-acting anaesthetics and muscle relaxants to avoid harm, e.g. musculoskeletal injury, during the convulsions. However, most molecular studies investigating the mechanism of action of ECT have not explored the potential effects of the pre-treatment with anaesthetic and/ or muscle relaxant.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN:

We have carried out a targeted proteome analysis using multiplex immunoassay platform of serum samples before and 10 min after initiating the administration of the anaesthetic methohexital(®) and the muscle relaxant succinylcholine(®) to eight major depressive disorder patients undergoing ECT.

RESULTS:

Twenty-six out of 142 analysed molecules showed significant differences in abundance after the methohexital/succinylcholine treatment. Importantly, eight of these molecules (fatty acid-binding protein, insulin, interleukin (IL)1β, IL-10, IL-4, prolactin, S100 calcium-binding protein B and tumor necrosis factor α) have been associated previously with effects of ECT.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE:

These findings indicate that caution should be used when interpreting results in existing and future proteome-based biomarkers studies on the effects of ECT in neuropsychiatric disease or the use of anaesthetic/muscle relaxant in major surgical operations related to different therapeutic areas.

• Authors: Viktoria Stelzhammer, Matthias Rothermundt, Paul C Guest, Nikolaus Michael, Carina Sondermann, Wolfgang Kluge, Daniel Martins-de-Souza, Hassan Rahmoune, Sabine Bahn
• Journal: Proteomics. Clinical applications (Proteomics Clin Appl) Vol. 5 Issue 11-12 Pg. 644-9 (Dec 2011) ISSN: 1862-8354 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 22006837 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Chemical References

• Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents
• Methohexital
• Succinylcholine

Topics

• Anesthesia (adverse effects)
• Depressive Disorder, Major (therapy)
• Electroconvulsive Therapy (methods)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Methohexital (adverse effects)
• Middle Aged
• Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents (adverse effects)
• Proteomics
• Succinylcholine (adverse effects)