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Massimo Allegri,1,2 Dario Bugada,1–3 Manuela De Gregori,2,4 Maria A Avanzini,5 Annalisa De Silvestri,6 Anna Petroni,7 Angelo Sala,7,8 Claudia Filisetti,9–11 Antonia Icaro Cornaglia,12 Lorenzo Cobianchi13,14 1Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma 2SIMPAR Group (Study in Multidisciplinary PAin Research), 3Department of Anaesthesia and ICU, ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, 4Pain Therapy Service, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 5Laboratory of Transplant Immunology/Cell Factory, IRCCS Foundation Policlinico San Matteo, 6Clinical epidemiology and Biometrics Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, 7Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, 8I.B.I.M., C.N.R., Palermo, 9PhD School, University of Pavia, 10Department of Pediatric Surgery, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, 11Department of Pediatric Surgery, “V. Buzzi” Children’s Hospital, Milan, 12Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 13Department of Surgical, Clinical, Paediatric and Diagnostic Science, University of Pavia, 14General Surgery 1, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy Abstract: Continuous wound infusion (CWI) may protect from inflammation, hyperalgesia and persistent pain. Current local anesthetics display suboptimal pharmacokinetic profile during CWI; chloroprocaine (CP) has ideal characteristics, but has never been tested for CWI. We performed an animal study to investigate the pharmacokinetic profile and anti-inflammatory effect of CP during CWI. A total of 14 piglets received an infusion catheter after pararectal laparotomy and were randomly allocated to one of three groups: 5 mL/h infusion of saline (group A), CP 1.5% (group B) and CP 0.5% (group C). Blood sampling was performed to assess absorption and systemic inflammation at 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 102 and 108 hours. The wound and contralateral healthy abdominal wall were sampled for histological analyses. Absorption of CP from the site of infusion, evaluated as the plasmatic concentrations of CP and its metabolite, 4-amino-2-chlorobenzoic acid (CABA), showed a peak during the first 6 hours, but both CP and its metabolite rapidly disappeared after stopping CP infusion. Local inflammation was reduced in groups B and C (CP-treated p < 0.001), in a CP dose-dependent fashion. While CP inhibited in a dose-dependent manner pig mononuclear cells (MNCs) in vitro proliferation to a polyclonal activator, no effect on systemic cytokines’ concentrations or on ex vivo monocytes’ responsiveness was observed, suggesting the lack of systemic effects, in line with the very short half-life of CP in plasma. CP showed a very good profile for use in CWI, with dose-dependent local anti-inflammatory effects, limited absorption and rapid clearance from the bloodstream upon discontinuation. No cytotoxicity or side effects were observed. CP, therefore, may represent an optimal choice for clinical CWI, adaptable to each patient’s need, and protective on wound inflammatory response (and hyperalgesia) after surgery. Keywords: continuous wound infusion, pig model, chloroprocaine, pharmacokinetics, inflammation, postoperative pain

Carmelo Gigliuto,1 Manuela De Gregori,2 Valentina Malafoglia,3 William Raffaeli,3 Christian Compagnone,4 Livia Visai,5,6 Paola Petrini,7 Maria Antonietta Avanzini,9 Carolina Muscoli,8 Jacopo Viganò,11 Francesco Calabrese,11 Tommaso Dominioni,11 Massimo Allegri,2,10 Lorenzo Cobianchi111Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, University of Pavia, Pavia, 2Pain Therapy Service, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, 3ISAL Foundation, Institute for Research on Pain, Torre Pedrera, Rimini, 4Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Therapy, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Parma, University of Parma, Parma, 5Department of Molecular Medicine, Center for Tissue Engineering (CIT), INSTM UdR of Pavia, University of Pavia, Pavia, 6Department of Occupational Medicine, Ergonomy and Disability, Laboratory of Nanotechnology, Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, IRCCS, Veruno, 7Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica 'G Natta' and Unità di Ricerca Consorzio INSTM, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, 8Department of Health Science, University Magna Grecia of Catanzaro and Centro del Farmaco, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Roma, 9Laboratory of Transplant Immunology/Cell Factory, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico "San Matteo", Pavia, 10Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic and Paediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, 11University of Pavia, Department of Surgical, Clinical, Paediatric and Diagnostic Science, General Surgery 1, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, ItalyAbstract: In the last two decades, animal models have become important tools in understanding and treating pain, and in predicting analgesic efficacy. Although rodent models retain a dominant role in the study of pain mechanisms, large animal models may predict human biology and pharmacology in certain pain conditions more accurately. Taking into consideration the anatomical and physiological characteristics common to man and pigs (median body size, digestive apparatus, number, size, distribution and communication of vessels in dermal skin, epidermal–dermal junctions, the immunoreactivity of peptide nerve fibers, distribution of nociceptive and non-nociceptive fiber classes, and changes in axonal excitability), swines seem to provide the most suitable animal model for pain assessment. Locomotor function, clinical signs, and measurements (respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, electromyography), behavior (bright/quiet, alert, responsive, depressed, unresponsive), plasma concentration of substance P and cortisol, vocalization, lameness, and axon reflex vasodilatation by laser Doppler imaging have been used to assess pain, but none of these evaluations have proved entirely satisfactory. It is necessary to identify new methods for evaluating pain in large animals (particularly pigs), because of their similarities to humans. This could lead to improved assessment of pain and improved analgesic treatment for both humans and laboratory animals.Keywords: pain assessment, experimental model, translational research