Effects of halothane on protein synthesis and degradation in rabbit pulmonary macrophages

The effects of exposure to the volatile anesthetic halothane on the synthesis and degradation of rabbit pulmonary macrophage proteins were investigated. Protein synthesis was inhibited rapidly and reversibly when macrophages were exposed to halothane. The magnitude of the inhibition was dependent upon the dose of anesthetic and upon the composition of the medium. The effect of halothane was not associated with increased cell death or with depletion of cellular ATP. Halothane exposure did not affect the ability of the cells to degrade either endogenous proteins or exogenous bovine serum albumin. These results suggested that halothane exposure favored protein catabolism in pulmonary alveolar macrophages though an inhibition of protein synthesis with no change in protein degradation.