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Interaction of GABA and volatile anesthetics in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans
Author(s) -
Boswell Mark V.,
Morgan Philip G.,
Sedensky Margaret M.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.4.8.2335273
Subject(s) - halothane , caenorhabditis elegans , enflurane , chemistry , ed50 , gamma aminobutyric acid , pharmacology , biology , biochemistry , in vitro , receptor , gene , organic chemistry
The authors tested whether mutant strains of Caenorhabditis elegans with altered sensitivity to volatile anesthetics have altered responses to GABA or GABA‐agonists. They determined the ED 50 s of the wild‐type strain N2 and two mutant strains of C. elegans to a GABA‐mimetic ivermectin (IVM) and to GABA. unc‐79 , a strain with increased sensitivity to halothane, was more sensitive than N2 to IVM and GABA. unc‐9 , a strain that suppresses the increased sensitivity of unc‐79 to halothane, was less sensitive than N2 to IVM and GABA. The authors also tested whether doses of GABA or IVM and volatile anesthetics were additive in their effects on C. elegans. Halothane (2.1%) did not shift the ED 50 of IVM, but was antagonistic to GABA. Enflurane (4%) was antagonistic to both IVM and GABA. However, ED 50 s of halothane and enflurane were unchanged in the presence of IVM (35 nM) or GABA (150 mM). The authors conclude that GABA by itself does not appear to mediate halothane or enflurane sensitivity in C. elegans .— B oswell , M. V.; M organ , P. G.; S edensky , M. M. Interaction of GABA and volatile anesthetics in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. FASEB J. 4: 2506‐2510; 1990.