Inhalational general anesthetics have recently been shown to inhibit neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors (nnAChRs) expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes and in molluscan neurons. However, drug actions on these systems are not necessarily the same as those seen on native mammalian neurons. Thus, we analyzed the detailed mechanisms of action of halothane on nnAChRs using rat cortical n...

! Barbiturate Protection in Acute Focal Cerebral Ischemia • We have found that anesthetic technique modifies the neurological and pathological se-quelae of unilateral middle cerebral artery and internal carotid artery occlusion in dogs. Occlu-sion was performed in seven groups of six dogs during each of the following anesthetic regimens: light (0.8%) halothane, "awake," deep (1.9%) halothane, d...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE It is not known whether preischemic exposure to anesthetic agents affects the amount of damage from transient focal ischemia that occurs after cessation of the anesthetic. We compared the effect of prior exposure to halothane or propofol on infarction size after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) induced in the awakening animal to test the hypothesis that a...

We have studied the effects of the calcium agonist BAY K 8644 on the in vitro halothane test in 10 malignant hyperthermia-susceptible (MHS), 12 MH "equivocal" to halothane (MHEh), 30 MH non-susceptible (MHN) and 10 control patients. BAY K 8644 potentiated the halothane-induced contracture in muscle strips from both MHS and MHEh patients. The drug produced a more obvious difference in contractur...

The problem ofhalothane and the liver does exist. Experience in Bristol of two bizarre cases of "halothane hepatitis" led Dr Brian Williams to organise a symposium on the subject earlier this year. His survey of anaesthetists in the South Western Region showed a high level (97%) of awareness of the possibility of hepatitis associated with halothane. The reported incidence ranges from one in 100...

Halothane is an important human and veterinary anesthetic, which produces free radicals during biotransformation. Occasionally, these free radicals may cause hepatic injury, especially in case of multiple halothane exposures over short periods. Vitamin C may protect cellular lipids and lipoproteins against oxidative damage by the free radicals. This study investigated the effects of vitamin C o...

Within the last several years, the poultry industry has seen a dramatic increase in the occurrence of pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat. This problem is known to be associated with a rapid decline in postmortem (PM) muscle pH, which results in inferior protein functionality similar to that found in PSE pork. Many factors such as seasonal changes have been known to influence the occurrence of...

Cone dark adaptation (da) (measured with an electroretinogram [ERG] method) is found to be severely retarded when the subject (human and macaque monkey) is under halothane anesthesia. The degree of retardation depends both on the halothane level and on the bleach history. The effect of bleach history shows a great similarity with psychophysical findings concerning foveal da. Interpretation of h...

Halothane, an anesthetic presently used in animal experimentation, is reported to stimulate glycogen breakdown in isolated preparations of rat skeletal muscles, suggesting that it may not be a suitable anesthetic for the study of glycogen metabolism in rats in vivo. The purpose of this study was to establish whether prolonged exposure to halothane in rats in vivo is associated with accelerated ...

The effects of halothane and ketamine anesthesia on [ 11 C]raclopride binding were assessed in the cat striatum at basal conditions and after drugor depolarization-induced dopamine (DA) release using Positron Emission Tomography. At baseline, Scatchard analyses revealed that the higher [ 11 C]raclopride binding found under halothane anesthesia was mainly attributable to a higher radioligand app...