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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 5, 2025

Application of Dixon's Up-and-Down Design to Estimate the Minimum Alveolar Concentration of Sevoflurane in Rats with Refined Movement Classification

Application of Dixon's Up-and-Down Design to Estimate the Minimum Alveolar Concentration of Sevoflurane in Rats with Refined Movement Classification

Published on: July 25, 2025

A Sleep-Specific Midbrain Target for Sevoflurane Anesthesia.

Tingting Yi^1,2, Na Wang^3,4, Jing Huang¹

¹Department of Anesthesiology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400037, China.

Advanced Science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)

|March 24, 2023

Summary

Sevoflurane anesthesia involves activating specific midbrain neurons. The growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) in these urocortin 1 (UCN1)/cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) neurons is crucial for sevoflurane's anesthetic effects.

Keywords:

Edinger-Westphal nucleus general anesthesia growth hormone secretagogue receptor sevoflurane sleep

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Last Updated: Aug 5, 2025

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Published on: September 24, 2020

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Anesthesiology
Pharmacology

Background:

Sevoflurane is a widely used inhaled anesthetic with a favorable recovery profile.
The precise mechanisms of sevoflurane's anesthetic action remain incompletely understood.
Identifying specific neural pathways and molecular targets is essential for understanding anesthesia.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying sevoflurane-induced anesthesia.
To investigate the role of specific neuronal populations and receptors in sevoflurane's effects.
To identify novel molecular targets for anesthetic action.

Main Methods:

Utilized neuronal activation mapping in response to sevoflurane.
Investigated the expression of growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) in activated neurons.
Examined the effects of GHSR blockade on sevoflurane's anesthetic properties and neuronal activity.

Main Results:

Sevoflurane activates a specific cluster of midbrain urocortin 1 (UCN1) and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) neurons.
Growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) is highly enriched in these sevoflurane-activated UCN1+/CART+ neurons.
Blockade of GHSR abolished sevoflurane's excitatory effect on these neurons and attenuated its anesthetic effect, indicating GHSR necessity for sleep induction.

Conclusions:

Anesthetic action of sevoflurane requires GHSR activation in midbrain UCN1+/CART+ neurons.
GHSR in these neurons represents a novel target for anesthetic development.
This finding provides new insights into the neurobiological underpinnings of general anesthesia.