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Related Concept Videos

General Anesthesia: Overview01:24

General Anesthesia: Overview

170
Anesthesia is a medical procedure that uses drugs for CNS suppression to enable painless surgeries and procedures. The selection of anesthetics is influenced by their pharmacokinetic properties, side effects, and patient characteristics. Various types of anesthesia include general, local, regional, spinal, and inhalational.
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...
170
Stages of General Anesthesia01:22

Stages of General Anesthesia

320
Various sedation levels offer significant advantages in facilitating procedural interventions for patients undergoing medical or invasive surgical procedures. These levels span from anxiolysis to general anesthesia, providing a spectrum of sedative effects to cater to specific patient needs. Anxiolysis reduces anxiety and is achieved through minimal sedation, enabling patients to remain awake and responsive while feeling more at ease during the procedure. This level can benefit minor...
320
Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview01:24

Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview

87
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.
87
Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview01:20

Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview

148
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...
148
Local Anesthetics: Pharmacokinetics01:13

Local Anesthetics: Pharmacokinetics

705
The potency and duration of action of local anesthetics (LAs) are determined by their pharmacokinetics. Pharmacokinetics describes how LAs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated from the body. When administered to the vascular tissues, LAs are quickly absorbed and enter the systemic circulation, reducing their localized effects. Adding vasoconstrictors such as epinephrine to LAs reduces their absorption into the systemic circulation, making them clinically effective. The...
705
Local Anesthetics: Mechanism of Action01:23

Local Anesthetics: Mechanism of Action

2.1K
Local anesthetics (LAs) block sensory and motor impulses by inhibiting the sodium channels on the nerve cell membranes. This induces temporary loss of sensation, relieving pain in a specific body area.
Local anesthetics are amphiphilic molecules consisting of a hydrophobic aromatic part linked to a hydrophilic group by an ester or amide linkage. They are weak bases and are usually available as salts, which increases their solubility and stability. Once administered, LAs exist in the body either...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 16, 2025

Assessing Changes in Volatile General Anesthetic Sensitivity of Mice after Local or Systemic Pharmacological Intervention
08:49

Assessing Changes in Volatile General Anesthetic Sensitivity of Mice after Local or Systemic Pharmacological Intervention

Published on: October 16, 2013

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Mechanisms of General Anesthesia.

Scott B Hansen1,2

  • 1Department of Molecular Medicine and Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, USA.

Annual Review of Biochemistry
|April 1, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Anesthetics alter neuronal excitability by binding to ion channels and the plasma membrane. This review explores their mechanisms of action, linking them to lipid binding and protein interactions for better understanding.

Keywords:
cholesterolconsciousnession channelpalmitoylationplasma membranesignaling lipid

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Optogenetic Activation of Afferent Pathways in Brain Slices and Modulation of Responses by Volatile Anesthetics
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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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Last Updated: May 16, 2025

Assessing Changes in Volatile General Anesthetic Sensitivity of Mice after Local or Systemic Pharmacological Intervention
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Optogenetic Activation of Afferent Pathways in Brain Slices and Modulation of Responses by Volatile Anesthetics
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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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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Anesthetics are crucial in modern medicine, modulating neuronal excitability.
  • Understanding their molecular mechanisms is key to explaining mood, consciousness, and psychiatric conditions.
  • Anesthetic targets include ion channels and the plasma membrane.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the molecular mechanisms of anesthetic action.
  • To explore the role of lipid binding and protein interactions in anesthetic sensitivity.
  • To provide historical context and discuss unresolved questions regarding anesthetics.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of anesthetic mechanisms.
  • Analysis of anesthetic binding sites in ion channels and membranes.
  • Discussion of the Meyer-Overton correlation and historical theories.

Main Results:

  • Anesthetics act via ion channel binding or plasma membrane interactions, including palmitate linkage.
  • Binding sites share characteristics with the anesthetic site in luciferase.
  • The Meyer-Overton correlation is reviewed in the context of these mechanisms.

Conclusions:

  • Anesthetic action involves diverse molecular targets and mechanisms.
  • Lipid interactions and protein binding are central to anesthetic effects.
  • Further research is needed on endogenous anesthetics, stereoselectivity, and chain-length cutoffs.