Differential effects of anesthetics on phosphatidylethanolamine biosynthesis in hamster tissue

The anesthetic effects of diethyl ether and sodium pentobarbital on phosphatidylethanolamine biosynthesis in hamster organs were investigated. No significant difference was observed in the livers and hearts between control and anesthesized animals. However, a 30% reduction in phosphatidylethanolamine labelling was detected in the kidney of the diethyl ether-anesthesized hamsters. Such reduction appears to be caused by an inhibition of phosphoethanolamine cytidylyltransferase, a rate-limiting enzyme in the major pathway for the biosynthesis of phosphatidylethanolamine. The uptake of ethanolamine by the organs was not affected during anesthesia.