Obstetric Anesthesia Research Laboratory

The Obstetric Anesthesia Research Laboratory is the basic science arm of the Division of Women’s Anesthesia. The majority of lab members conduct in vivo and in vitro experiments that are designed to mimic different clinical scenarios related to maternal/fetal medicine. Specific ongoing studies include: the use of Near Infrared Spectroscopy to measure changes in fetal cerebral oxygen levels caused by drugs of abuse, volatile anesthetics, or pneumoperitoneum; monitoring the hemodynamic and tissue blood flow changes produced by insufflation; and conducting outcome investigations and postnatal animal behavioral assessments following surgery during pregnancy. Similar studies aimed at understanding the physiologic response to minimally-invasive surgery are being conduced in the non-pregnant setting along with assessments of other types of laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures. The lab also functions as a resource for clinical investigations and the group continues to strengthen its ties with the Duke Neonatal Perinatal Research Institute and the Duke Endosurgery Center, as well as continuing its active collaborations with other Duke faculty including Drs. Jonathan Stamler (Pulmonary Medicine), Cynthia Kuhn (Pharmacology and Cancer Biology), and Tom Cummings (Pathology), and with researchers outside of Duke: Dr. Marjorie Grafe (Pathology, Oregon Health Sciences Center), Dr. Steve Eubanks, University of Missouri, and Dr. Paul Benni (CAS Medical).

Representative publications:

1. Fuh E, de la Fuente S, Shah MK, Okodiko DK, Cummings TJ, Eubanks WS, Reynolds JD. Long-term behavioral assessment following neonatal pneumoperitoneum. Surg Endosc (2005) 19: 715-719.
2. McKee JA, Brewer RP, Macy GE, Borel CO, Reynolds JD, Warner DS: Magnesium neuroprotection is limited in humans with acute brain injury. Neurocrit Care (2005) 2: 342-351.
3. McClaine RJ, Uemura K, de la Fuente SG, Manson RJ, Booth JV, White WD, Campbell KA, McClaine DJ, Benni PB, Eubanks WS, Reynolds JD. General anesthesia improves fetal cerebral oxygenation without evidence of subsequent neuronal injury. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab (2005) 25: 1060-1069.
4. Ali NA, Eubanks WS, Stamler JS, Gow AJ, Lagoo SA, Villegas L, El-Moalem HE, Reynolds JD. A method to attenuate pneumoperitoneum-induced reductions in splanchnic blood flow. Ann Surg (2005) 241: 256-261.
5. McKee JA, Brewer RP, Macy GE, Phillips-Butte B, Campbell KA, Borel CO, Reynolds JD, Warner DS. Analysis of the brain bioavailability of peripherally administered magnesium sulfate: a study in humans with acute brain injury undergoing prolonged hypermagnesemia. Crit Care Med (2005) 33: 661-666.
6. Uemura K, McClaine RJ, de la Fuente SG, Manson RJ, Campbell KA, McClaine DJ, White WD, Stamler JS, Eubanks WS, Reynolds JD. Maternal insufflation during the second trimester equivalent produces hypercarbia, acidosis, and prolonged hypoxia in fetal sheep. Anesthesiology (2004) 101: 1332-1338.
7. O’Halloran EK, Reynolds JD, Lau CL, Davis RD, Palmer SM, Pappas TN, Clary EM, Eubanks WS. Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication for treating reflux in lung transplant recipients. J Gastrointest Surg (2004) 8: 132-7.

James D. Reynolds, PhD

Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology
Assistant Professor in Surgery
Director, Research of the Divison of Women's Anesthesia
Director, Obstetric Anesthesia Research Laboratory
Office: (919) 681-6774

Laboratory staff members:

Mathew Baldwin
Claudio DeBarro
Max Jones, BS
John Longphre, MD
Deb McClaine, BS
Bert Maidmont
Roberto Manson, MD
Kazufumi Shimazutsu, MD