Lidocaine, a typical local anesthetic, is used during medical procedures to reduce pain by blocking nerve signals. Researchers often apply lidocaine at biopsy sites to ease discomfort, assuming it does not affect characteristics of the tissue relevant to their study. This study explored how lidocaine injections impact skeletal muscle gene expression in sheep, focusing on 2 muscles with different roles: the biceps brachii and vastus intermedius. Samples from treated and untreated muscles were collected and analyzed. Lidocaine altered gene expression differently in each muscle type, likely due to their unique functions. The activity of genes linked to inflammation in both muscles was reduced by lidocaine treatment, which also influenced genes related to muscle repair, contraction, and structure. These findings suggest that lidocaine’s effects could impact studies examining muscle growth and development. The study highlights the need to account for lidocaine’s potential influence when interpreting transcriptome data. Combining genetic analysis with other physiological measures can help ensure accurate conclusions about tissue function and response to treatments, improving the reliability of lidocaine research.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.