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Related Concept Videos

Physical Properties of Amines01:26

Physical Properties of Amines

Amines with low molecular weight are usually gaseous at room temperature, while those with high molecular weight are liquid or solids in nature. Usually, low molecular weight amines have a rotten fish-like smell. Diamines typically have a pungent smell. For instance, cadaverine and putrescine, depicted in Figure 1, are two molecules responsible for decaying tissue.
Amines: Introduction01:07

Amines: Introduction

Amines are organic derivatives of ammonia. They are formed by replacing one or more ammonia protons with alkyl or aryl groups. Depending upon the number of organyl groups bonded to nitrogen, amines are classified as primary, secondary, or tertiary. Primary amines have one organyl group attached to the nitrogen atom, while secondary and tertiary amines have two and three organyl groups attached to the nitrogen atom, respectively.
Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview01:20

Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview

Inhalation anesthetics are drugs that induce general anesthesia upon inhalation. They work by increasing the sensitivity of GABAA receptors or inhibiting NMDA receptors, leading to a decrease in central nervous system activity. The depth of anesthesia can be rapidly adjusted by changing the concentration of the inhaled gas. Some common examples of inhalational anesthetics include volatile liquids like isoflurane, desflurane, sevoflurane and gases like xenon and nitrous oxide. Isoflurane, a...
Preparation of Amines: Alkylation of Ammonia and Amines01:30

Preparation of Amines: Alkylation of Ammonia and Amines

Alkylation is one of the methods used to prepare amines. Direct alkylation of ammonia or a primary amine with an alkyl halide gives polyalkylated amines along with a quaternary ammonium salt through successive SN2 reactions. This process of making the quaternary salt through the direct alkylation method is called exhaustive alkylation.
Each alkylation step makes the nitrogen center more nucleophilic, which triggers successive alkylations until a quaternary ammonium salt is formed. Considering...
Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview01:24

Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview

Intravenous anesthetics are drugs administered parenterally to induce anesthesia or sedation. Propofol is a widely used agent formulated as a 1% emulsion in soybean oil, glycerol, and egg phosphatide. It induces rapid anesthesia primarily due to its rapid distribution from the bloodstream to target tissues and is metabolized in the liver. However, it can cause significant pain on injection and hypertriglyceridemia. Fospropofol, a water-based prodrug of propofol, lacks these adverse effects.
Local Anesthetics: Common Agents and Their Applications01:23

Local Anesthetics: Common Agents and Their Applications

Local anesthetics (LAs) are commonly used for various applications in medical and dental procedures. Some of the common agents used are cocaine, lidocaine, and bupivacaine.
Cocaine is an ester of benzoic acid and methylecgogine. It is used to anesthetize and vasoconstrict locally. Currently, it is used primarily for topical applications. It is beneficial for surgeries on the upper respiratory tract, providing anesthesia and shrinking the mucosa. Cocaine in the form of cocaine hydrochloride is...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass
09:30

Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass

Published on: April 18, 2020

Ammonia has anesthetic properties.

Robert J Brosnan1, Liya Yang, Pavle S Milutinovic

  • 1Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Calif 94143-0464, USA.

Anesthesia and Analgesia
|May 22, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Ammonia exhibits anesthetic properties by modulating specific ion channels and receptors. This endogenous compound reversibly reduces anesthetic requirements in rats, supporting its potential role in anesthesia.

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Recording Brain Electromagnetic Activity During the Administration of the Gaseous Anesthetic Agents Xenon and Nitrous Oxide in Healthy Volunteers
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Optogenetic Activation of Afferent Pathways in Brain Slices and Modulation of Responses by Volatile Anesthetics
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Optogenetic Activation of Afferent Pathways in Brain Slices and Modulation of Responses by Volatile Anesthetics

Published on: July 23, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Anesthesiology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Anesthesia theory suggests endogenous compounds may possess anesthetic properties.
  • Metabolites elevated in disease states, like ammonia, could exert anesthetic effects.
  • Ammonia impairs memory and consciousness at pathophysiologic concentrations, mimicking anesthetic actions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the anesthetic properties of ammonia.
  • To determine ammonia's effects on specific ion channels and receptors.
  • To evaluate ammonia's immobilizing effects in a rodent model.

Main Methods:

  • Studied ammonia's effect on GABA-A, glycine, NMDA receptors, and TRESK channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes.
  • Utilized two-electrode voltage clamp electrophysiology.
  • Assessed ammonia's immobilizing effect in rats by measuring isoflurane minimum alveolar concentration reduction after ammonium chloride infusion.
  • Measured olive oil-water partition coefficient for ammonia (NH3).

Main Results:

  • Ammonia positively modulated TRESK channels and glycine receptors; no effect on GABA-A or NMDA receptors.
  • Ammonia demonstrated reversible immobilizing effects in rats, reducing isoflurane MAC (EC50 = 1.6 mM NH4Cl).
  • Ammonia's low olive oil-water partition coefficient (0.018) suggests it does not follow the Meyer-Overton correlation for anesthetics.

Conclusions:

  • Findings support ammonia's anesthetic properties.
  • Ammonia's potency is not predicted by its concentration in bulk oil, diverging from traditional anesthetic mechanisms.