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Anesth Analg 2003;97:417-423
© 2003 International Anesthesia Research Society

ANESTHETIC PHARMACOLOGY

Neither Spinal {gamma}-Aminobutyric Acid-A nor Strychnine-Sensitive Glycine Receptor Systems Are the Sole Mediators of Halothane Depression of Spinal Dorsal Horn Sensory Neurons

Masanori Yamauchi, MD, Steven G. Shimada, PhD, Hiroshi Sekiyama, MD, and J. G. Collins, PhD

Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut

Address correspondence and reprint requests to J. G. Collins, PhD, Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St., PO Box 208051, New Haven, CT 06520-8051. Address e-mail to j.collins{at}yale.edu

Inhaled anesthetics depress the response of spinal dorsal horn low-threshold (LT) neurons to peripheral receptive field stimulation. Part of that depression may be mediated by anesthetic interactions with {gamma}-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) and strychnine-sensitive glycine inhibitory neurotransmitter systems. In this electrophysiological study, we attempted to antagonize halothane depression of LT neurons by administering bicuculline (a competitive GABAA antagonist) and/or strychnine (a competitive glycine antagonist) systemically, alone or in combination, to decerebrate, spinal cord-transected rats. We observed that both bicuculline and strychnine, alone or in combination, significantly but only partially reversed halothane depression of LT neuronal responses to receptive field stimulation. The inability of bicuculline and strychnine, alone or in combination, to completely reverse halothane depression suggests that although GABAA and glycine systems are involved in the observed halothane depression, additional mechanisms of action are also required for halothane depression of LT spinal sensory neurons.

IMPLICATIONS: The results of this study support the hypothesis that halothane depression of spinal sensory neurons is mediated, but not completely, by the anesthetic effects on {gamma}-aminobutyric acid type A and strychnine-sensitive glycine neurotransmitter systems.






Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins 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 HighWire Press
Copyright © 2003 by the International Anesthesia Research Society.