Nitric oxide synthase inhibitor does not reduce minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration of halothane in rats

Nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor (N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester [L-NAME]) has been reported to reduce minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration (MAC) of halothane when administered intravenously (i.v.) and to reduce thermal hyperalgesia, or produce antinociception in the formalin test, when administered intracerebroventricularly (ICV) or intrathecally (IT). This study attempts to identify the site(s) in the central nervous system (CNS) where L-NAME acts to reduce the halothane MAC. For this purpose, we examined the effects of i.v., ICV, and IT administration of L-NAME on the halothane MAC in rats. In contrast to an earlier study, we did not observe any decrease in the halothane MAC after i.v. (10-30 mg/kg) administration of L-NAME. ICV (100 micrograms) and IT (100 micrograms and 1 mg) administration of L-NAME also did not alter the halothane MAC. These findings indicate that the L-arginine-NO pathway is not involved in the mechanism of action of halothane to suppress mechanical nociceptive response or in the nociceptive neural mechanism of mechanical stimulation.