Open AccessPropofol Stimulates Noradrenalin-Inhibited Neurons in the Ventrolateral Preoptic Nucleus by Reducing GABAergic Inhibition
Author(s) -
Yuwei Liu,
Wanhong Zuo,
Jiang-Hong Ye
Publication year - 2013
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.0b013e318297366e
Subject(s) - gabaergic , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , propofol , neuroscience , bicuculline , medicine , nucleus , electrophysiology , preoptic area , anesthesia , biology , gabaa receptor , receptor
The cellular mechanisms underlying the sedative effect of general anesthetics are not completely understood. Accumulating evidence indicates that the ventrolateral preoptic area (VLPO) of the hypothalamus plays a critical role. The VLPO contains 2 major types of neurons, the noradrenalin-inhibited GABAergic projecting neurons (NA(-) neurons) and the noradrenalin-excited interneurons (NA(+) neurons) which are probably also γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-containing neurons. Our previous work suggests that NA(-) neurons are normally under the inhibitory control of NA(+) neurons. Previous studies also show that GABAergic agents including propofol activate GABAergic projecting neurons in the VLPO, which is believed to lead to the inhibition of the arousal-producing nuclei in the tuberomammillary nucleus and sedation. However, how propofol activates VLPO neurons remains unclear. We explored the possibility that propofol activates NA(-) neurons indirectly, by inhibiting GABAergic transmission including those from VLPO NA(+) neurons.