Published in:
01-02-2020 | General Anesthesia | Short Communication
Is neurotransmitter release involved in the mechanism of general anesthesia?
Published in: Journal of Anesthesia | Issue 1/2020
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Introduction
It is believed that neurotransmitters release modulates general anesthesia via several receptors system which are molecular targets for anesthetic agents in young-adult rats. However, middle-aged rats have rarely been used. Therefore, we studied in this age group.
Materials and Methods
After approval of our protocol by the institutional committee on animal research, 116 middle aged Sprague–Dawley rats were assigned to ketamine (K: n = 74) and propofol (P: n = 42) anesthesia groups. Rats were decapitated 0, 20 60 and 120 min after ip K (100 mg/kg) or P (80 mg/kg), respectively. Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), orexin A (OXA) and noradrenaline contents in the pons, hypothalamus, hippocampus and cerebrocortex were measured by a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or high-performance liquid chromatography.
Results
Neurotransmitter content in all brain regions did not significantly change following K or P administration.
Conclusion
Therefore, we question whether neurotransmitter release contributes to general anesthesia.