Effects of fentanyl and sufentanil on peripheral mammalian nerves.

The effects of fentanyl and sufentanil on peripheral nerves were evaluated in isolated sheathed and desheathed rabbit vagus nerves. The action potential amplitudes of A and C fibers were recorded before and after a 30-min exposure to 50 and 100 micrograms/ml of fentanyl and sufentanil. A reversible decrease in the action potential amplitude of A fibers in desheathed nerves was observed after exposure to 100 micrograms/ml of each drug. The action potential amplitude of C fibers was also decreased but not to the same degree as was the A fiber action potential. Pretreatment with naloxone failed to block the reduction in action potential amplitude produced by the two opiates. No evidence of irreversible conduction blockade indicative of local neural toxicity was seen in these studies. The results suggest that high concentrations of fentanyl and sufentanil may exert a weak local anesthetic-type action on peripheral nerves.