Depressant and convulsant barbiturates both inhibit neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (neuronal nAchRs) are sensitive to many anesthetics, including barbiturates, which suggests that these receptors are potential sites for anesthetic action. Subtle changes in molecular structures of the anesthetic barbiturates can produce compounds with potent convulsant activity. Whereas R(-) isomer of 1-methyl-5-phenyl-5-propyl barbituric acid (MPPB) exerts anesthetic action, S(+)MPPB exhibits pure excitatory effects, including convulsion. 5-(2-cyclohexilidene-ethyl)-5-ethyl barbituric acid is another example of a convulsant barbiturate. We compared the effects of depressant and convulsant barbiturates on the neuronal nAchR-mediated current to determine whether inhibition of neuronal nAchRs contributes to the anesthetic action of barbiturates. Whole cell nicotine-induced currents were recorded in PC12 derived from rat pheochromocytoma, using the conventional whole cell patch clamp technique in the presence and absence of barbiturates. Both depressant and convulsant barbiturates inhibited the nicotine-induced inward current reversibly and in a dose-dependent manner when co-applied with nicotine. All barbiturates accelerated the current decay. There was no significant difference between the concentrations for 50% inhibition for MPPB isomers. There was no correlation between inhibition of ganglionic nAchRs and anesthetic effects of the barbiturates. These results strongly oppose the idea that inhibition of neuronal nAchRs contributes to the anesthetic action of barbiturates.

We found that both convulsant and depressant barbiturates inhibit the current mediated through ganglionic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in PC12 cells. This finding suggests that the inhibition of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors does not contribute to the anesthetic action of barbiturates.