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The antimicrobial activity of bupivacaine, lidocaine and mepivacaine against equine pathogens: An investigation of 40 bacterial isolates.
Abstract: Lameness is the most commonly reported health problem in horses, and lameness investigations which include local anaesthetic injections are routinely performed by equine practitioners. Through this process, bacteria can enter the tissues perforated by the needle and may cause local infections at the injection site. The objective of this in vitro study was to investigate if local anaesthetics at concentrations available in commercially available solutions could inhibit growth and/or kill bacteria that could be inoculated into the synovial space or soft tissues during injection. This study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of the local anaesthetics bupivacaine, lidocaine and mepivacaine against 40 equine clinical bacterial isolates of the Actinobacillus, Corynebacterium, Enterobacter, Escherichia, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus genera. Minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MICs and MBCs) were determined by the broth microdilution method. Clinically applied concentrations of bupivacaine, lidocaine, and mepivacaine inhibited visual growth of 93%, 93%, and 80% of isolates tested, respectively. For the majority (80%) of the inhibited isolates, the concentrations were also bactericidal. The tested local anaesthetics possessed antimicrobial activity against equine pathogens at concentrations that are routinely applied in clinical cases. However, this antimicrobial activity should not discourage antiseptic preparation prior to local anaesthetic injections.
Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2017-05-10 PubMed ID: 28671067DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2017.05.001Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research article primarily focuses on investigating the antibacterial effect of local anesthetics used in horses. The study specifically examines the action of bupivacaine, lidocaine, and mepivacaine on various equine bacteria.
Objective and Importance of the Study
- Horses often experience lameness – a health problem that commonly necessitates the use of local anaesthetics by equine practitioners. As these anesthetics are administered through injections, there’s a risk that bacteria may enter the punctured tissues, potentially causing local infections. As such, the study aimed to examine whether local anesthetics could inhibit or possibly eliminate the harmful bacteria which can infiltrate soft tissues or the synovial space during injection.
Research Methodology
- The study utilized commercially available solutions of the local anesthetics bupivacaine, lidocaine, and mepivacaine, and tested their antimicrobial activity against a variety of 40 equine clinical bacterial isolates.
- The bacterial genera tested comprised of Actinobacillus, Corynebacterium, Enterobacter, Escherichia, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus.
- The research methodologies employed included the determination of Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentrations (MBCs) through the broth microdilution method.
Research Findings
- The research demonstrated that the concentrations of bupivacaine, lidocaine, and mepivacaine present in commercial solutions were successful in inhibiting the growth of 93%, 93%, and 80% of the bacterial isolates tested, respectively. For most (80%) of the inhibited isolates, the concentrations were also found to be bactericidal (bacteria-killing).
- Furthermore, the study revealed that these local anesthetics had antimicrobial properties against equine bacteria at the concentrations typically used in clinical settings.
Implications of the Study
- The results of this study suggest that local anaesthetics possess antimicrobial activity and could potentially mitigate the risk of bacterial infections introduced through needle punctures during their administration.
- Nevertheless, the study also points out that despite their antimicrobial properties, the use of local anesthetics should not replace thorough antiseptic preparation prior to the injection procedures. This ensures an extra layer of protection against potential bacterial infections.
Cite This Article
APA
Adler DMT, Damborg P, Verwilghen DR.
(2017).
The antimicrobial activity of bupivacaine, lidocaine and mepivacaine against equine pathogens: An investigation of 40 bacterial isolates.
Vet J, 223, 27-31.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2017.05.001 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Højbakkegaard Allé 5, DK-2630 Taastrup, Denmark. Electronic address: dima@sund.ku.dk.
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Højbakkegaard Allé 5, DK-2630 Taastrup, Denmark.
MeSH Terms
- Anesthesia, Local / adverse effects
- Anesthetics, Local
- Animals
- Anti-Bacterial Agents
- Bacteria / drug effects
- Bupivacaine / administration & dosage
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Lameness, Animal / physiopathology
- Lidocaine / administration & dosage
- Mepivacaine / administration & dosage
- Microbial Sensitivity Tests / veterinary
- Pain / drug therapy
Citations
This article has been cited 18 times.- Li W, Gao W, Lu C, Ji M, Yin Y, Zhang H, Liu C, Yu C. Lidocaine as a Potential Therapeutic Agent in Colorectal Cancer: A Study of Gene Expression and Prognosis. Onco Targets Ther 2025;18:737-749.
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- Gruyaert M, Oosterlinck M, Haspeslagh M, Nagy A. Computed tomographic evaluation of the proximity of needles placed for perineural anesthesia of the palmar digital nerves to synovial structures in the foot: an ex vivo study. Front Vet Sci 2024;11:1404331.
- Labanian S, Faghihi H, Montazeri H, Jafarian A. Freeze-drying of bupivacaine lipospheres: preparation, characterization, and evaluation of anti-microbial properties. Daru 2024 Jun;32(1):207-214.
- Barreto Bellusci H, Gervasoni LF, Peixoto IC, De Oliveira LB, de Oliveira Vieira KC, Toledo ACCG, de Oliveira CBS, Mareco EA, Naga RM, Cataneli VP, Nai GA, Winkelströter LK. Local anesthetics as a tool for Staphylococcus spp. control: a systematic review. Braz J Microbiol 2024 Jun;55(2):1427-1435.
- Fantone S, Piani F, Olivieri F, Rippo MR, Sirico A, Di Simone N, Marzioni D, Tossetta G. Role of SLC7A11/xCT in Ovarian Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2024 Jan 2;25(1).
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- Scala E, van Galen G, Skärlina EM, Durie I. Do post-surgical multiresistant urinary infections occur in horses? Case of unilateral pyelonephritis caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing bacteria as a complication of cystotomy. Vet Med Sci 2023 Sep;9(5):2042-2052.
- Adler DMT, Jørgensen E, Cornett C. The concentration of lidocaine and mepivacaine measured in synovial fluid of different joints of horses after single intra-articular injection. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:1007399.
- Sun D, Li YC, Zhang XY. Lidocaine Promoted Ferroptosis by Targeting miR-382-5p /SLC7A11 Axis in Ovarian and Breast Cancer. Front Pharmacol 2021;12:681223.
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- Lokeshwar SD, Horodyski L, Lahorewala SS, Morera DS, Arora H, Kava B, Ramasamy R. The Effect of Bupivacaine on the Efficacy of Antibiotic Coating on Penile Implants in Preventing Infection. Sex Med 2019 Sep;7(3):337-344.
- Xia W, Wang L, Yu D, Mu X, Zhou X. Lidocaine inhibits the progression of retinoblastoma in vitro and in vivo by modulating the miR‑520a‑3p/EGFR axis. Mol Med Rep 2019 Aug;20(2):1333-1342.
- Kesici U, Demirci M, Kesici S. Antimicrobial effects of local anaesthetics. Int Wound J 2019 Aug;16(4):1029-1033.
- Dholakia U, Clark-Price SC, Keating SCJ, Stern AW. Anesthetic effects and body weight changes associated with ketamine-xylazine-lidocaine administered to CD-1 mice. PLoS One 2017;12(9):e0184911.
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