JOURNAL HOME CME HOME THIS MONTH PAST ISSUES ETOC COLLECTIONS AUTHORS REVIEWERS EDITORIAL BOARD FEEDBACK RSS HELP
		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by He, Y. Articles by Hirota, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by He, Y. Articles by Hirota, K. Related Collections Mechanisms Pharmacology

---

ANESTHETIC PHARMACOLOGY

The Effects of Benzodiazepines on Orexinergic Systems in Rat Cerebrocortical Slices

Ying He, MD^*, Mihoko Kudo, PhD^*, Tsuyoshi Kudo, PhD^*, Tetsuya Kushikata, MD^*, Enyou Li, MD, and Kazuyoshi Hirota, MD, FRCA^*

From the *Department of Anesthesiology, University of Hirosaki School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan; and Department of Anesthesiology, First Clinical College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to K. Hirota, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Hirosaki School of Medicine, Hirosaki 036-8562, Japan. Address e-mail to hirotak{at}cc.hirosaki-u.ac.jp.

BACKGROUND: As orexinergic (OXergic) neurons have been reported to mediate emotional changes, benzodiazepines might interact with OXergic neurons.

METHODS: We examined the interactions between OXergic neurons and benzodiazepine receptors in orexin-A (100 nM) and K⁺ (25 mM)-evoked norepinephrine release from rat cerebrocortical slices.

RESULTS: Midazolam, diazepam, and flunitrazepam concentration-dependently inhibited both OX-A- and K⁺-evoked norepinephrine release. The IC₅₀ of midazolam for orexin-A-evoked release (0.87 µM, P < 0.01), which was insensitive to flumazenil, was significantly lower than that of diazepam and flunitrazepam (around 60 µM), whereas the IC₅₀s for K⁺-evoked release were not different among the benzodiazepines.

CONCLUSION: There may be no interaction between OXergic neurons and central benzodiazepine receptors.

Anesthesia & Analgesia® is published for the International Anesthesia Research Society® by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins with the assistance of Stanford University Libraries' HighWire Press®. Copyright 2006 by the International Anesthesia Research Society. Online ISSN: 1526-7598   Print ISSN: 0003-2999