Open AccessThe Effects of Volatile Aromatic Anesthetics on Voltage-Gated Na+ Channels Expressed in Xenopus Oocytes
Author(s) -
Takafumi Horishita,
Edmond I. Eger,
R. Adron Harris
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
anesthesia and analgesia/anesthesia and analgesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.404
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1526-7598
pISSN - 0003-2999
DOI - 10.1213/ane.0b013e318184b966
Subject(s) - hexafluorobenzene , sodium channel , xenopus , biophysics , sodium , depolarization , butyric acid , pharmacology , chemistry , stereochemistry , medicine , biochemistry , biology , benzene , organic chemistry , gene
Many inhaled anesthetics inhibit voltage-gated sodium channels at clinically relevant concentrations, and suppression of neurotransmitter release by these anesthetics results, at least partly, from decreased presynaptic sodium channel activity. Volatile aromatic anesthetics can inhibit N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor function and enhance gamma-amino butyric acid A receptor function, but these effects depend strongly on the chemical properties of the aromatic compounds. In the present study we tested whether diverse aromatic anesthetics consistently inhibit sodium channel function.