Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Midazolam”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

Nicotine trace discrimination in rats with midazolam as a mediating stimulus.

It was shown previously that effects of drugs present prior to training sessions could serve as discriminative stimuli. Further experiments have aimed to determine whether a second drug can serve as a mediating stimulus that increases the strength of stimulus control by such pre-session drug effects. Rats were trained in a two-lever discrimination procedure with food reinforcers presented on a tandem variable-interval fixed-ratio (VI-FR) schedule. Injections of nicotine (0.6 mg/kg) or saline were followed after 5 min by administration of midazolam (0.2 mg/kg) as a putative mediating stimulus. The nicotine antagonist mecamylamine (1.0 mg/kg) was administered 5 min after midazolam, to block effects of nicotine during training sessions, as in previous work on pre-session drug effects. Stimulus control was acquired slowly and to an accuracy of only 75%. Midazolam did not facilitate the acquisition or magnitude of nicotine-induced stimulus control. However, extinction tests showed that the presence of midazolam was required for expression of stimulus control by pre-session effects of the training dose of nicotine. The response to nicotine (0.075-0.6 mg/kg) was dose-related, but the dose-response relationship was not dependent upon the presence of midazolam. In a group of rats trained with nicotine and midazolam as above, but without mecamylamine, stimulus control by nicotine was not dependent upon the presence of midazolam. In all cases, overall rates of responding were very low when tests were carried out without midazolam, suggesting the presence of state-dependent learning. The results imply that under appropriate conditions the discriminative stimulus effects of one drug (nicotine) can be mediated by the action of a second substance (midazolam). This finding can be conceptualized in terms of occasion setting, with nicotine serving as the feature and midazolam as the target stimulus. Furthermore, it appears that even when rates of responding show drug-state dependence, this is not necessarily the case for discriminative stimulus effects.

Animals↗

Inhibition by midazolam of the adrenergic function in the isolated canine mesenteric vein.

BACKGROUND: Midazolam has been reported to cause hypotension or to depress sympathetic activity following intravenous injection. However, little information is available concerning the mechanism of these effects. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of midazolam on release of noradrenaline (NA) at nerve terminals and on receptors in the venous smooth muscle. METHODS: The effect of midazolam at nerve terminals was examined by measuring the amount of NA release from superfused canine mesenteric vein helical strips during electrical stimulation (ES; 5 Hz, 2 ms, 9 V). The NA was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection; tension development evoked by ES was also recorded simultaneously. In a separate series of experiments, ring preparations from the isolated vein were mounted in Krebs-Ringer solution for isometric tension recording to assess the effect of midazolam on alpha-adrenoceptors. RESULTS: Application of tetrodotoxin (10(-6) M) or replacement of superfusate with Ca(2+)-free solution decreased both the release of NA and the tension development evoked by ES. Yohimbine (5 x 10(-8) M) increased the ES-evoked release of NA, whereas it decreased tension development in the vein strips. Midazolam (10(-4) M) did not affect either the basal release of NA or the basal tension, but inhibited both the NA release (P < 0.01) and the tension development (P < 0.01) during ES; midazolam at 10(-5) M inhibited the tension development (P < 0.05) but had no effect on NA release. In the ring preparations, midazolam (10(-5) and 10(-4) M) attenuated responses to NA (a mixed alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist, 10(-8) to 10(-3) M), phenylephrine (the alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonist, 10(-8) to 10(-3) M) and 5-bromo-6-[2-imidazolin-2yl-amino]-quinoxaline (UK14304; the alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist, 10(-7) to 10(-3) M) in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: The data obtained in the present study suggest that midazolam at 10(-4) M may reduce venous tone by inhibiting the release of NA from sympathetic nerve endings and both alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor mediated smooth muscle contractions. It is also postulated that a stage of the post-receptor transduction mechanism linked to the venous smooth muscle contraction may be more sensitive to midazolam than the NA release mechanism at nerve terminals since midazolam at the low concentration tested inhibited ES-evoked tension development with no effect on the release of NA.

Adrenergic Antagonists↗

Midazolam sedation for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in older persons: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the benefits and risks of using midazolam for sedation during upper gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures in older persons. DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. SETTING: A 304-bed geriatric university hospital. PATIENTS: Sixty-five geriatric inpatients (mean age 84 +/- 7) undergoing gastroscopy. INTERVENTION: Sedation with either midazolam (30 microg/kg IV) or saline (placebo). All patients received supplemental oxygen during the procedure (2 L/minute). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Patients' recall of their tolerance to the exam (categorical scale) and pain score were significantly in favor of midazolam at 2 and 24 hours. Multivariate analysis at 2 hours showed that midazolam increased the probability of good tolerance (odds ratio (OR) = 19.3; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.2-170.4, P = .008). Circumstantial amnesia occurred at 24 hours in 84% (midazolam) versus 27% (placebo) (P < .001). With midazolam, mean sedation time was 83 +/- 13 minutes and mean arterial pressure (MAP) was about 10 mm Hg lower without clinically significant hypotension. Hypoxemia (SaO2 < 92%) was more frequent in the midazolam group after endoscopy (44% vs. 18%, P = .033), but no major desaturation was observed. Cognitive function (Mini-Mental State Exam, MMSE) was similar before and 2 and 24 hours after the exam in both groups. Acute confusion was observed in two patients (1 midazolam, 1 placebo). In multivariate analysis, midazolam was associated with a higher risk of hypoxemia after endoscopy (OR = 3.5; 95% CI 1.1-10.8, P = .029) but not of confusion. CONCLUSIONS: Under adequate surveillance, the benefits in terms of tolerance to the procedure of low-dose midazolam for upper gastrointestinal endoscopic sedation outweigh the risks in older people.

Aged↗

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions of oral midazolam with ketoconazole, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, and nefazodone.

The objective of this study was to investigate pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions between midazolam and fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, nefazodone, and ketoconazole. Forty healthy subjects were randomized to receive one of the four study drugs for 12 days in a parallel study design: fluoxetine 60 mg per day for 5 days, followed by 20 mg per day for 7 days; fluvoxamine titrated to a daily dose of 200 mg; nefazodone titrated to a daily dose of 400 mg; or ketoconazole 200 mg per day. All 40 subjects received oral midazolam solution before and after the 12-day study drug regimen. Blood samples for determination of midazolam concentrations were drawn for 24 hours after each midazolam dose and used for the calculation of pharmacokinetic parameters. The effects of the study drugs on midazolam pharmacodynamics were assessed using the symbol digit modalities test (SDMT). The mean area under the curve (AUC) for midazolam was increased 771.9% by ketoconazole and 444.0% by nefazodone administration. However, there was no significant change in midazolam AUC as a result of fluoxetine (13.4% decrease) and a statistical trend for fluvoxamine (66.1% increase) administration. Pharmacodynamic data are consistent with pharmacokinetic data indicating that nefazodone and ketoconazole resulted in significant increases in midazolam-related cognition impairment. The significant impairment in subjects' cognitive function reflects the changes in midazolam clearance after treatment with ketoconazole and nefazodone. These results suggest that caution with the use of midazolam is warranted with potent CYP3A4 inhibitors.

Administration, Oral↗

Inhibition of morphine-induced tolerance and dependence by a benzodiazepine receptor agonist midazolam in the rat.

We investigated whether midazolam administration influenced morphine-induced antinociception and tolerance and dependence in the rat. Antinociception was assessed by the tail-flick (TF) and the hot-plate test (HP 52 degrees C). Morphine tolerance developed after daily single injections of morphine for 11 days. The effect of midazolam on morphine-induced antinociception and tolerance was assessed by giving daily injections of various doses of midazolam for 11 days. The first injection of saline or midazolam was given intraperitoneally and 30 min later morphine (10 mg/kg body weight) was administered subcutaneously. Antinociception was monitored by measuring TF and HP latencies 60 min after the second injection. Midazolam was injected at four different concentrations: 0.03, 0.1, 0.3, and 3 mg/kg body weight. Chronic administration of morphine resulted in the development of tolerance to antinociception in both TF and HP tests, with rats exhibiting baseline antinociception on Day 9. Animals treated with midazolam alone showed little antinociception on Days 3-9. However, midazolam administration in morphine-treated animals attenuated morphine-induced tolerance to antinociception on Days 1-11 as measured by the tail-flick test. Midazolam also decreased the jumping behavior following naloxone injections in morphine-dependent rats. These results suggest that midazolam may prolong the effects of morphine by delaying morphine-induced development of tolerance to antinociception. Midazolam also attenuated a decrease in weight gain induced by chronic injections of morphine.

Animals↗

Midazolam-induced muscle dysfunction and its recovery in fatigued diaphragm in dogs.

Midazolam, widely used for sedation and anesthesia, decreases contractility in nonfatigued diaphragm; however, its effects on contractility in fatigued diaphragm that are implicated as a cause of respiratory failure have not been established. We therefore studied the effects of midazolam on diaphragm muscle function and recovery in fatigued diaphragm. Dogs were divided into three groups of eight each. In each group, diaphragmatic fatigue was induced by intermittent supramaximal bilateral electrophrenic stimulation at a frequency of 20-Hz stimulation for 30 min. When fatigue was established, Group I received no study drug; Group II was infused with a sedative dose (0.1 mg x kg(-1) x h(-1)) of midazolam; and Group III was infused with an anesthetic dose (0.5 mg x kg(-1) x h(-1)) of midazolam. We assessed diaphragm muscle function (contractility and electrical activity) by transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi) and integrated electrical activity of the diaphragm (Edi). In the presence of fatigue, Pdi at low-frequency (20-Hz) stimulation decreased from baseline values (P < 0.05), Pdi at high-frequency (100-Hz) stimulation did not change, and Edi to each stimulus did not change. With an infusion of midazolam, in Groups II and III, Pdi at both stimuli and Edi at 100-Hz stimulation decreased from fatigued values (P < 0.05). The decrease in Pdi and Edi was more in Group III than in Group II (P < 0.05). At 60 min after the cessation of midazolam administration, in Group II, Pdi and Edi recovered from midazolam-induced values (P < 0.05) and returned to fatigued values. In Group III, Pdi and Edi did not change from midazolam-induced values. We conclude that midazolam causes, in a dose-related manner, diaphragm muscle dysfunction in fatigued canine diaphragm and that at a sedative dose, but not at an anesthetic dose, midazolam does not delay its recovery.

Anesthetics, Intravenous↗

Propofol vs midazolam for ICU sedation : a Canadian multicenter randomized trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine whether sedation with propofol would lead to shorter times to tracheal extubation and ICU length of stay than sedation with midazolam. DESIGN: Multicenter, randomized, open label. SETTING: Four academic tertiary-care ICUs in Canada. PATIENTS: Critically ill patients requiring continuous sedation while receiving mechanical ventilation. INTERVENTIONS: Random allocation by predicted requirement for mechanical ventilation (short sedation stratum, < 24 h; medium sedation stratum, > or = 24 and < 72 h; and long sedation stratum, > or = 72 h) to sedation regimens utilizing propofol or midazolam. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Using an intention-to-treat analysis, patients randomized to receive propofol in the short sedation stratum (propofol, 21 patients; midazolam, 26 patients) and the long sedation stratum (propofol, 4 patients; midazolam, 10 patients) were extubated earlier (short sedation stratum: propofol, 5.6 h; midazolam, 11.9 h; long sedation stratum: propofol, 8.4 h; midazolam, 46.8 h; p < 0.05). Pooled results showed that patients treated with propofol (n = 46) were extubated earlier than those treated with midazolam (n = 53) (6.7 vs 24.7 h, respectively; p < 0.05) following discontinuation of the sedation but were not discharged from ICU earlier (94.0 vs 63.7 h, respectively; p = 0.26). Propofol-treated patients spent a larger percentage of time at the target Ramsay sedation level than midazolam-treated patients (60.2% vs 44.0%, respectively; p < 0.05). Using a treatment-received analysis, propofol sedation either did not differ from midazolam sedation in time to tracheal extubation or ICU discharge (sedation duration, < 24 h) or was associated with earlier tracheal extubation but longer time to ICU discharge (sedation duration, > or = 24 h, < 72 h, or > or = 72 h). CONCLUSIONS: The use of propofol sedation allowed for more rapid tracheal extubation than when midazolam sedation was employed. This did not result in earlier ICU discharge.

Aged↗

Lack of in vivo correlation between indinavir and saquinavir exposure and cytochrome P450 3A phenotype as assessed with oral midazolam as a phenotype probe.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate a potential correlation between exposure to oral midazolam, a commonly used cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A probe, and saquinavir and indinavir exposure. DESIGN: Open-label, prospective, pharmacokinetic study. SETTING: Outpatient research center. SUBJECTS: Thirty-six healthy volunteers aged 22-50 years. INTERVENTION: Subjects received a single oral dose of midazolam 8 mg; 4 hours later, blood was drawn to determine their serum midazolam concentrations. Midazolam phenotyping was followed by successive administration of the protease inhibitors indinavir and saquinavir, with blood sampling and pharmacokinetic analyses performed at steady state. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Pharmacokinetic parameters of each protease inhibitor were evaluated to assess for a potential relationship with 4-hour concentrations of midazolam. No correlations between phenotype results for midazolam and any pharmacokinetic parameter for indinavir or saquinavir were identified (r(2)=0.00002-0.073). When the results were analyzed based on race, significant correlations were identified in five African-American subjects, including correlations between 4-hour midazolam levels and apparent oral clearance of saquinavir (r(2)=0.734, p=0.064), area under the plasma concentration-time curve from 0-8 hours (r(2)=0.914, p=0.011), minimum concentration (r(2)=0.857, p=0.024), and maximum concentration (r(2)=0.969, p=0.002). These findings for African-American subjects were not seen with indinavir. No correlation was found between indinavir and saquinavir pharmacokinetic parameters (r(2)=0.017-0.261). CONCLUSION: Oral midazolam was not a useful probe for predicting saquinavir or indinavir exposure at steady state. Reasons for the lack of correlation likely included differences between midazolam and protease inhibitor P-glycoprotein specificity, differences in the relative contribution of CYP3A5-mediated metabolism, and/or variation in intestinal and hepatic CYP3A specificity. The strong correlation between midazolam phenotype and pharmacokinetic parameters for saquinavir in African-American subjects indicated a racial difference in one or more of these confounding variables.

Administration, Oral↗

Midazolam and cortisol metabolism before and after CYP3A induction in humans.

INTRODUCTION: CYP3A is responsible for the metabolism of numerous endogenous and exogenous compounds. Several substrates of CYP3A have been investigated to assess the CYP3A-metabolizing capacity of an individual in an attempt to predict the rate of metabolism of other CYP3A substrates. Two such tests of CYP3A activity are the midazolam plasma clearance after its intravenous administration and the 6beta-OH cortisol urinary ratio. Possible correlations between these 2 tests were investigated before and after treatment with rifampin in a group of healthy volunteers. METHODS: Pharmacokinetic parameters of midazolam and 6beta-OH cortisol urinary ratio were evaluated in 8 volunteers before and after 6 days treatment with rifampin, a potent inducer of CYP3A, and after cessation of rifampin treatment. RESULTS: Midazolam systemic clearance and the 6beta-OH cortisol urinary ratio were significantly higher at Days 7 and 10 than at Day 0. There was a strong positive correlation between these 2 parameters (r = 0.70, p < 0.001). In contrast, no correlation was observed between the ratio of the AUCs of 1'-OH midazolam vs. midazolam (AUC0-1(1'-OH)/AUC0-t(MDZ)) or the ratio of plasma concentration of 1'-OH midazolam vs. midazolam (C30 min(1'-OH)/C30 min(MDZ)) and the 6beta-OH cortisol urinary ratio (r = 0.05, p = 0.82; r = 0.04, p = 0.88, respectively). Considering only data obtained before or after treatment with rifampin, however, no correlation was observed between midazolam systemic clearance and the 6beta-OH cortisol urinary ratio. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that there is a strong positive correlation between systemic midazolam clearance and 6beta-OH cortisol urinary ratio before and after induction. This suggests that the 6beta-OH cortisol urinary ratio test is a non-invasive alternative to the use of systemic midazolam clearance for monitoring the time-course of CYP3A induction.

Adult↗

Antagonism of the discriminative stimulus effects of positive gamma-aminobutyric acid(A) modulators in rhesus monkeys discriminating midazolam.

The extent to which individual subtypes of benzodiazepine receptors are functionally independent has not been elucidated in vivo. This study used apparent pA(2) analysis to test the hypothesis that a single receptor subtype mediates the discriminative stimulus effects of midazolam, triazolam, and diazepam, three positive gamma-aminobutyric acid(A) (GABA(A)) modulators. Four rhesus monkeys discriminated 0.56 mg/kg midazolam from vehicle under a fixed-ratio 5 schedule of stimulus-shock termination. Midazolam, triazolam, and diazepam increased responding on the midazolam-appropriate lever. The neutral GABA(A) modulator flumazenil shifted dose-effect curves for triazolam and diazepam to the right, and the negative GABA(A) modulators Ro 15-4513 and ethyl beta-carboline-3-carboxylate (beta-CCE) shifted dose-effect curves for midazolam and triazolam to the right. Slopes of Schild plots for flumazenil and Ro 15-4513 conformed to unity. The apparent pA(2) values were 7.41 and 7.69 for flumazenil in combination with triazolam and diazepam, respectively, and 7.53 and 6.88 for Ro 15-4513 in combination with midazolam and triazolam, respectively. The slope of the Schild plot for beta-CCE in combination with midazolam deviated from unity. Slopes of Schild plots obtained with flumazenil and Ro 15-4513 support the notion that a single benzodiazepine receptor subtype mediates the effects of midazolam, triazolam, or diazepam. The similarity in apparent pA(2) values for flumazenil in combination with triazolam and diazepam or for Ro 15-4513 in combination with midazolam and triazolam suggests that the same subtype mediates the effects of these positive modulators. In contrast, beta-CCE and midazolam do not appear to interact in a simple, competitive manner.

Animals↗

[Propofol infusion for sedation in regional anesthesia. A comparison with midazolam].

50 non-premedicated ASA class I or II patients were allocated randomly into two groups and received either a variable infusion of propofol or midazolam for sedation during orthopaedic surgery with regional blockade. To achieve a well-sedated patient with eyes closed and able to follow commands, the dose requirements for propofol were 1.25 mg/kg +/- 0.5 as a loading dose followed by a mean infusion rate of 3.17 mg kg-1 h-1 +/- 1.4 and for midazolam 0.073 mg/kg +/-0.02 and 0.074 mg kg-1 h-1 +/- 0.14. Steady-state plasma concentrations of propofol averaged 1.23 micrograms/kg +/- 0.75 and of midazolam 134 ng/ml +/- 62. Recovery was significantly shorter for propofol: 3.42 +/- 2.5 versus 8.05 min +/6.2 for midazolam. Perioperative cooperation was similar in both groups providing good or excellent conditions in 76% with propofol and in 52% with midazolam. 2h after discontinuation of the infusion 92% of the propofol patients were alert, while 36% of the midazolam were sleeping again. Cardiovascular effects of both drugs were minimal; however significant respiratory depression and/or airway obstruction developed in both groups (propofol 48%, midazolam 52%) requiring therapeutic intervention. Additional undesirable effects were: severe cough (propofol 40%, midazolam 20%), inadvertent movements (propofol 36%, midazolam 24%), confusion (propofol 24%, midazolam 20%), euphoria (propofol 44%), pain on injection (propofol 32%). The results of the study indicate that both drugs are useful and controllable sedative agents for surgery under regional anaesthesia, provided that measures for continuous monitoring of respiration and emergency care are guaranteed.

Anesthesia, Epidural↗

Chronic subarachnoid midazolam (Dormicum) in the rat. Morphologic evidence of spinal cord neurotoxicity.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In humans, the benzodiazepine midazolam has been reported to exert an antinociceptive action after subarachnoid injections. It has been shown that subarachnoid midazolam given to rabbits produces significant pathology in spinal cord morphology, as detected with light microscopy. In order to further characterize these changes, this study was performed, using a more sensitive histologic technique, including electron microscopy as well as unbiased morphometry. METHODS: The histopathology of the rat lumbar spinal cord was investigated after chronic subarachnoid administration of a commercially available preparation of midazolam. After daily injections of 100 micrograms of midazolam, the animals were transcardially perfused on the twentieth day with a mixture of formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde. RESULTS: Morphometric evaluation of cell number and mean cell volume (MCV) by the disector method revealed a significant lower (P < .05) cell number and a tendency toward higher MCV in the midazolam-injected group (n = 6), compared to the rats injected with saline (n = 6). The higher MCV, in combination with a reduced number of nerve cells, indicated a loss of small neurons. The electron microscopic findings confirmed that midazolam caused neuronal death, since degenerated cell somata, fibers, and terminals were observed in most of the rats. Furthermore, an increased number of microglial cells phagocytosing nerve structures were also seen mainly in the dorsal horn. CONCLUSIONS: The authors found that chronic subarachnoid administration of midazolam gives objective signs of neurotoxicity in the rat spinal cord. The authors' findings are in contrast to those of an earlier light microscopic study in the rat. The present results emphasize both the necessity of morphometric and ultrastructural studies before spinal administration of novel drugs to humans and the neurotoxic potential of midazolam. Since neurotoxicity of midazolam now has been demonstrated in both rats and rabbits, there may be reason to be sceptical of the use of subarachnoid midazolam in humans.

Adjuvants, Anesthesia↗

Intranasal administration of midazolam: pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties and sedative potential.

This study investigated the pharmacodynamic effects and sedative potential of midazolam administered by the intranasal route to adult volunteers. A double-blind, randomized, controlled study was carried out on seventeen healthy, male volunteers to study plasma level changes, sedative effects and variations in vital signs following intranasal administration of 0.2 mg/kg and 0.3 mg/kg doses of midazolam. Eight subjects received 0.2 mg/kg midazolam, seven received 0.3 mg/kg. Each subject rested for 15-20 minutes after placement of vital sign monitors and venipuncture needles before administration of midazolam. Behavior during the rest period was designated as the control so that each subject acted as his own control. Each subject's behavior was assessed on a scale of 1 (asleep) to 8 (excited). Plasma concentrations of midazolam were analyzed using venous blood samples from each of three randomly selected subjects for each of the two doses. Vital signs, monitored continuously, included electrocardiogram, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation (SPO2). Plasma concentration of midazolam in both groups maintained adequate sedation levels with each group sustaining favorable sedation conditions from 15-20 minutes to 55-60 minutes. Individual variations of midazolam plasma concentration within the 0.3 mg/kg group were greater than those of the 0.2 mg/kg group. Normal vital sign variations due to the nasal instillation of midazolam were observed in both groups. Some minor respiratory depression was observed in the 0.2 mg/kg group. One instance of severe respiratory depression was observed in the higher dose group. Although both doses of midazolam were effective, no benefit was observed using a dose of 0.3 mg/kg. Indeed, a 0.3 mg/kg intranasal dose of midazolam may actually produce severe respiratory depression.

Administration, Intranasal↗

[Clinical use of midazolam].

Midazolam is widely used in anesthesia. This paper shows characteristics of midazolam and how to use midazolam in clinical anesthesia. As a premedication, midazolam should be injected i. m. 15 min before entering an operating room in a dose of 0.04 mg.kg-1 to 0.08 mg.kg-1 according to the patient's age. For anesthesia induction, midazolam should be used together with barbiturate or propofol to take advantage of synergistic effects. Continuous infusion of midazolam in total intravenous anesthesia with fentanyl results in hemodynamic stability and good postoperative analgesia. During spinal or epidural anesthesia, i.v. midazolam of 0.05 mg.kg-1 has anti-anxietic and sedative effects. Midazolam inhibits awakening during cardiopulmonary bypass and it has little cardiodepressant effect. In aged, hepatic damaged or renal damaged patients, the effects of midazolam are slightly increased. Therefore, lower doses may be required in such patients. In conclusion, midazolam is usable in premedication, induction, maintenance in general anesthesia and in sedation in local anesthesia.

Adjuvants, Anesthesia↗

Midazolam hydroxylation by human liver microsomes in vitro: inhibition by fluoxetine, norfluoxetine, and by azole antifungal agents.

Biotransformation of the imidazobenzodiazepine midazolam to its alpha-hydroxy and 4-hydroxy metabolites was studied in vitro using human liver microsomal preparations. Formation of alpha-hydroxy-midazolam was a high-affinity (Km = 3.3 mumol/L) Michaelis-Menten process coupled with substrate inhibition at high concentrations of midazolam. Formation of 4-hydroxy-midazolam had much lower apparent affinity (57 mumol/L), with minimal evidence of substrate inhibition. Based on comparison of Vmax/Km ratios for the two pathways, alpha-hydroxy-midazolam formation was estimated to account for 95% of net intrinsic clearance. Three azole antifungal agents were inhibitors of midazolam metabolism in vitro, with inhibition being largely consistent with a competitive mechanism. Mean competitive inhibition constants (Ki) versus alpha-hydroxy-midazolam formation were 0.0037 mumol/L for ketoconazole, 0.27 mumol/L for itraconazole, and 1.27 mumol/L for fluconazole. An in vitro-in vivo scaling model predicted inhibition of oral midazolam clearance due to coadministration of ketoconazole or itraconazole; the predicted inhibition was consistent with observed interactions in clinical pharmacokinetic studies. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant fluoxetine and its principal metabolite, norfluoxetine, also were inhibitors of both pathways of midazolam biotransformation, with norfluoxetine being a much more potent inhibitor than was fluoxetine itself. This finding is consistent with results of other in vitro studies and of clinical studies, indicating that fluoxetine, largely via its metabolite norfluoxetine, may impair clearance of P450-3A substrates.

Anesthetics, Intravenous↗

Contrasting effects of midazolam on induction of heat shock protein 27 by vasopressin and heat in aortic smooth muscle cells.

We previously showed that vasopressin stimulates the induction of heat shock protein (HSP) 27, a low molecular-weight HSP, through protein kinase C activation in aortic smooth muscle A10 cells. In the present study, we examined the effects of midazolam, an intravenous anesthetic, on the HSP27 induction stimulated by vasopressin, heat, or sodium arsenite (arsenite) in A10 cells. Midazolam inhibited the accumulation of HSP27 induced by vasopressin or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA), a direct activator of protein kinase C. Midazolam also reduced the vasopressin-induced level of the mRNA for HSP27. In contrast, midazolam enhanced the HSP27-accumulation induced by heat or arsenite. Midazolam also enhanced the heat-increased level of the mRNA for HSP27. However, midazolam had no effect on the dissociation of the aggregated form of HSP27 following stimulation by vasopressin, heat, or arsenite. These results suggest that midazolam suppresses vasopressin-stimulated HSP27 induction in vascular smooth muscle cells, and that this inhibitory effect is exerted at a point downstream from protein kinase C. In contrast, midazolam enhanced heat- or arsenite-stimulated HSP27 induction. Thus, midazolam has dual effects on the HSP27 induction stimulated by various stresses in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Anesthetics, Intravenous↗

Timed-release formulation to avoid drug-drug interaction between diltiazem and midazolam.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the use of a timed-release (TR) drug formulation can avoid unfavorable pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions in vivo. First, the effects of the time interval between administration of midazolam and diltiazem on the known drug-drug interaction between these drugs were investigated in dogs. When dogs were given midazolam orally at the same time they were orally given an aqueous diltiazem solution, the area under the plasma concentration-time curves of midazolam increased significantly compared with that of midazolam given orally in the absence of diltiazem. However, there was no significant difference in pharmacokinetics of midazolam when the diltiazem solution was administered 1-2 h after midazolam. Tests on a TR formulation containing diltiazem demonstrated that the first appearance of diltiazem in plasma occurs at 2.6 +/- 0.5 h in dogs. Subsequent tests showed that the plasma concentration-time profile of midazolam after concurrent oral administration of the diltiazem TR formulation was almost the same as that of midazolam administered alone. These results demonstrate that a TR formulation of diltiazem can avoid the interaction between diltiazem and midazolam by creating a time interval between absorption of drugs in vivo, without the need for closely controlling the time of drug administration.

Administration, Oral↗

The influence of lidocaine and verapamil on haemodynamic parameters after intravenous administration of midazolam in rabbits.

Cardiac arrhythmia can be a serious complication during general anaesthesia of patients suffering from cardiac arrhythmias and using antiarrhythmic drugs. The aim of the present experiments was to establish the way in which lidocaine and verapamil influence haemodynamic parameters of rabbits after midazolam anaesthesia. The experiments were performed on rabbits. Heart rate was counted according to ECG. Blood pressure was measured directly in the carotid artery. Cardiac output, stroke volume, and total peripheral resistance were estimated using the method of human 125J albumin dilution. Midazolam caused a gradual fall of arterial blood pressure till 30 min of the experiment. The decrease of blood pressure in the first 45 min of the experiment might be a result of decreasing peripheral resistance, and after 60 min should be rather attributed to a decrease of cardiac output and stroke volume. Lidocaine did not change the influence of midazolam on the blood pressure and heart rate. The consequence was a decrease of blood pressure after midazolam and lidocaine administration. Combined administration of midazolam and lidocaine decreased the influence of both midazolam and lidocaine on the total peripheral resistance. An injection of midazolam with verapamil resulted in a significant decrease of blood pressure. Combined administration of midazolam and verapamil caused a significant decrease of heart rate as compared with the initial value and administration of midazolam alone.

Anesthetics, Intravenous↗