BACKGROUND The distal airway is more important in the regulation of airflow resistance than is the proximal airway, and volatile anesthetics have a greater inhibitory effect on distal airway muscle tone. The authors investigated the different reactivities of airway smooth muscles to volatile anesthetics by measuring porcine tracheal or bronchial (third to fifth generation) smooth muscle tension...

We hypothesized that N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors mediate some or all of the capacity of inhaled anesthetics to prevent movement in the face of noxious stimulation, and that this capacity to prevent movement correlates directly with the in vitro capacity of such anesthetics to block the NMDA receptor. To test this hypothesis, we measured the effect of IV infusion of the NMDA blockers d...

Background & Aims: Abuse of topical anesthetic drops causes serious ocular complications. Obtaining information about the prevalence of anesthetic drops abuse among high risk groups specially welders is necessary for taking appropriate strategies for prevention. The present study aimed at determining the prevalence of anesthetic drops abuse among welders in Kerman. Methods: In this cross-se...

To identify sites of action of volatile anesthetics, we are studying genes in a functional pathway that controls sensitivity to volatile anesthetics in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The unc-1 gene occupies a central position in this pathway. Different alleles of unc-1 have unique effects on sensitivity to the different volatile anesthetics. UNC-1 shows extensive homology to human stomati...

This paper presents a preliminary study of the effects anesthetics propofol, remifentanil, and vecuronium bromide on rheological properties glycated erythrocytes in vitro, modeling glycation by hyperglycemia observed diabetes. Viscoelastic aggregation kinetic parameters were determined using an erythrocyte rheometer optical chip aggregometer developed our laboratory. The results showed signific...

Sevoflurane is a newer inhalant anesthetic characterized by cardiovascular stability similar to isoflurane but which produces smoother recoveries than are seen with isoflurane. Depth of anesthesia can be rapidly adjusted, which makes it useful for high-risk cases. Practitioners are often reluctant to change anesthetic agents because this may require adjustments with which they are not familiar....

BACKGROUND Microglial cells play important roles in coordinating the inflammatory brain responses to hypoxia and trauma. Ionotropic P2X receptors and metabotropic P2Y receptors (P2YRs) expressed in microglia can be activated by extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) derived from damaged cells or astrocytes, and participate in the signaling pathways evoked in brain insult. Although several i...

Fundamental to the question of where and how anesthetics act at the cellular level and what their effects may be on cell membranes is the question of whether anesthetics alter the permeability of cell membranes to glucose. The present study was designed to investigate the effect, if any, of inhalation anesthetics on the passage of glucose across a particular type of human cell membrane, the red...

One hundred and sixty five years have passed since the first documented use of volatile anesthetics to aid in surgery, but we have yet to understand the underlying mechanism of action of these drugs. There is no question that, in vitro, volatile anesthetics can affect the function of numerous neuronal and non-neuronal proteins. In fact, volatile anesthetics are capable of binding such diverse p...