Anesthetic effects on fictive locomotion in the rat isolated spinal cord

General anesthetic mechanisms are poorly understood. Anesthetic immobilizing effects occur in the spinal ventral horn. However, a detailed analysis of anesthetic effects on ventral motor networks is lacking. We delivered isoflurane, desflurane, or propofol during NMDA/5-HT-induced, or noxious tail stimulus-evoked, fictive locomotion in neonatal rat isolated spinal cords. Anesthetics changed the frequency, amplitude, and regularity of fictive locomotion with little effect on phase-lag. Isoflurane abolished pharmacologically-induced versus noxious stimulus-induced motor output at similar concentrations. Propofol abolished pharmacologically-induced fictive locomotion through a γ-aminobutyric acid type A-receptor mechanism. Anesthetic effects on pharmacologically-elicted fictive locomotion appear clinically-relevant, and support a ventral horn immobilizing effect on locomotor rhythm generation.