In vivo quantitation of local anesthetic suppression of leukocyte adherence.

Using intravital microscopy, topically applied amide-type local anesthetics suppressed the adherence of leukocytes to the venular endothelium within surgical defects in the hamster cheek pouch. The response was reversible with physiologic saline and was localized to venules within the defect. Quantitation in terms of the percent of initially adhering leukocytes remaining in place on the venule wall at each minute following application of lidocaine and physiologic saline, respectively, revealed the suppression to be reliably related to the concentration, viz: 20.0 >10.0 >5.0 >0.0 mg ml of commercially available Xylocaine(R) (lidocaine) HCl.