General anaesthetics: effects on transmitter release

In this report, the physiological effects, observations and events leading to transmitter release in both central nervous system and peripheral synapses are discussed. The presynaptic modulation of transmission at the central nervous system and at the neuromuscular junction was investigated using electrophysiological and neurochemical techniques. It was concluded that various general anaesthetics may affect the presynaptic mechanism of transmission, but these effects were controversial. For example, terminal excitability, which is taken as an index for presynaptic activity, could either be reduced or increased by general anaesthetics. Similar conflicting effects have been reported for the action of general anaesthetics on spontaneous and evoked release of ACh, uptake and release of intracellular Ca2+, and choline transport into the presynaptic nerve terminals.