Anesthésie et recherche clinique
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Bethametasone Prevents Plasmatic Glutamine Precipitation: An In-Vivo Study

Maria Caterina Pace, Maria Beatrice Passavanti, Antonio Palagiano, Fabio Arturo Iannotti, Vincenzo Pota, Antonietta Messina, Pasquale Sansone, Leonardo Pace, Pasquale Carfora, Giovanni Messina, Marcellino Monda and Caterina Aurilio

Glutamine (Gln) is an amino acid which plays an important regulatory role in many physiological functions and during acute or chronic human pathologies. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate potential changes of glutamine levels in the plasma of women that needed minor gynaecological surgery. The changes in glutamine levels were then evaluated in a group of patients pre-medicated with Bethametasone. In this study 46 patients were subdivided into two groups. All of them were anesthetized with loco-regional administration of mepivacaine 0.2%. Subsequently, to the first group was given placebo, whereas the second group of women was pre-medicated with Bethametasone 4 mg (i.v.). We report that in 34 patients out of 46, the minor gynaecologic surgery caused a significant decrease of glutamine (>20%) associated with an increase of postoperative pain. Interestingly, 10 out of 12 patients received Betamethasone, had increased levels of glutamine (>25%) and the use of analgesic drugs in the postoperative time was not required. In conclusion, in this study we found that minor gynaecological surgery causes a significant decrease of plasma level of glutamine that is associated with increase of postoperative pain. In contrast, the premedication with Betamethasone increases the plasma levels of glutamine, correlating with a good control of postoperative pain.