Xylazole inhibits NO-cGMP pathway in fetal rat nerve cells

Xylazole (Xyl) is a veterinary anesthetic that is structurally and functionally similar to xylazine. However, the effects of Xyl in vitro remain unknown.

This study aimed to investigate the anesthetic mechanism of Xyl using fetal rat nerve cells treated with Xyl.

Fetal rat nerve cells cultured for seven days were treated with 10, 20, 30, and 40 μg/ mL Xyl for 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min. Variations of amino acid neurotransmitters (AANTs), Nitric oxide-Cyclic GMP (NO-cGMP) signaling pathway, and ATPase were evaluated.

Xyl decreased the levels of cGMP and NO in nerve cells. Furthermore, Xyl affected the AANT content and Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase and Ca²⁺-Mg²⁺-ATPase activity in nerve cells. These findings suggested that Xyl inhibited the NO-cGMP signaling pathway in nerve cells in vitro.

This study provided new evidence that the anesthetic and analgesic effects of Xyl are related to the inhibition of the NO-cGMP signaling pathway.