TY - JOUR
T1 - Brain nitric oxide synthase activity is decreased by intravenous anesthetics
AU - Galley, Helen F.
AU - Webster, Nigel R.
PY - 1996/9/18
Y1 - 1996/9/18
N2 - Nitric oxide is produced from L-arginine in a variety of cells, and in neuronal tissue, by the action of nitric oxide synthase. Inhibitors to nitric oxide synthase reduce the threshold for anesthesia and anesthetics reduce nitric oxide synthase activity in neutrophils. We investigated the effect of four intravenous anesthetics and an anticonvulsant on rat brain nitric oxide synthase activity using the stoichiometric conversion of oxyhemoglobin to methemoglobin by nitric oxide. Enzyme activity was assayed in the presence of 0, 0.01, 0.1, and 1.00 μM thiopental, ketamine, etomidate, midazolam, and phenytoin. Thiopental (P = 0.001), ketamine (P = 0.0002), midazolam (P = 0.0024), and etomidate (P = 0.0006) caused a decrease in nitric oxide synthase activity. Phenytoin had no effect on enzyme activity. We conclude that the intravenous anesthetics, but not the nonsedative anticonvulsant tested, have a significant effect on neuronal nitric oxide synthase activity.
AB - Nitric oxide is produced from L-arginine in a variety of cells, and in neuronal tissue, by the action of nitric oxide synthase. Inhibitors to nitric oxide synthase reduce the threshold for anesthesia and anesthetics reduce nitric oxide synthase activity in neutrophils. We investigated the effect of four intravenous anesthetics and an anticonvulsant on rat brain nitric oxide synthase activity using the stoichiometric conversion of oxyhemoglobin to methemoglobin by nitric oxide. Enzyme activity was assayed in the presence of 0, 0.01, 0.1, and 1.00 μM thiopental, ketamine, etomidate, midazolam, and phenytoin. Thiopental (P = 0.001), ketamine (P = 0.0002), midazolam (P = 0.0024), and etomidate (P = 0.0006) caused a decrease in nitric oxide synthase activity. Phenytoin had no effect on enzyme activity. We conclude that the intravenous anesthetics, but not the nonsedative anticonvulsant tested, have a significant effect on neuronal nitric oxide synthase activity.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0029817757&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 8780287
AN - SCOPUS:0029817757
SN - 0003-2999
VL - 83
SP - 591
EP - 594
JO - Anesthesia and Analgesia
JF - Anesthesia and Analgesia
IS - 3
ER -