Effect of ropivacaine combined with sufentanil epidural labor analgesia on pain neurotransmitters as well as cytokine production and stress hormone secretion

Objective: To discuss the effect of ropivacaine combined with sufentanil epidural labor analgesia on pain neurotransmitters as well as cytokine production and stress hormone secretion. Methods: A total of 218 cases of puerperae who received caesarean section in the hospital between January 2015 and January 2017 were divided into control group (n=109) and observation group (n=109) by random table method. Control group received postpartum ropivacaine epidural analgesia alone, and observation group received postpartum ropivacaine combined with sufentanil epidural analgesia. The differences in serum levels of pain neurotransmitters, inflammatory factors and stress hormones were compared between the two groups immediately after childbirth (T0), 6 h after delivery (T1), 12 h after delivery (T2) and 24 h after delivery (T3). Results: At T0, the differences in serum levels of pain neurotransmitters, inflammatory factors and stress hormones were not statistically significant between the two groups. At T1, T2 and T3, serum NPY, β-EP and SP levels of observation group were lower than those of control group at corresponding points in time; serum IL- 1β, hs-CRP and IL-6 levels of observation group were lower than those of control group at corresponding points in time; serum Cor, AngⅠ, AngⅡ and NE levels of observation group were lower than those of control group at corresponding points in time. Conclusion: Ropivacaine combined with sufentanil epidural analgesia after caesarean section can effectively inhibit the pain neurotransmitter expression and relieve the systemic inflammatory stress response in puerperae