AChE and BChE activities decrease postoperatively in placebo treated patients, but remain stable in dexmedetomidine treated patients
Enzyme activity of AChE in the placebo group changed significantly over the course of the three points in time preoperatively, directly after surgery and on postoperative day one, with an overall decline in activity (Fig. Activities of cholinesterases. (Regarding between-group comparisons, neither preoperative baseline values nor postoperative values of AChE and BChE activity showed any significant difference between dexmedetomidine and placebo treated patients (Table Activities of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) before (preOP), 15 min after (postOP day 0) and one day after surgery (postOP day 1) compared between patients receiving standard general anaesthesia (Placebo, n = 30) or general anaesthesia combined with perioperative dexmedetomidine (Dex, n = 26).Tables show medians with interquartile ranges. 