Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-Letters: Submit a response to the article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (31)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Galley, H. F.
Right arrow Articles by Webster, N. R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Galley, H. F.
Right arrow Articles by Webster, N. R.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

British Journal of Anaesthesia, Vol 75, Issue 3 326-329, Copyright © 1995 by The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia

LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS

Anaesthetic agents decrease the activity of nitric oxide synthase from human polymorphonuclear leucocytes

H. F. Galley, L. R. Nelson and N. R. Webster
Clinical Oxidant Research Group, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK

Nitric oxide (NO) inhibitors reduce the threshold for anaesthesia. We have investigated the action of anaesthetic agents on human nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity. Thiopentone reduced mean NOS activity to 36.6 (SD 8.9) % of control at 100 mumol litre-1 (P < 0.001) and 50.9 (20.3) % at 1 mmol litre-1 (P < 0.05). Ketamine showed similar effects, with activity reduced to 67.0 (17.6) % (P < 0.05) and 57.7 (8.5) % (P < 0.001) at 100 mumol litre-1 and 1 mmol litre-1, respectively. Etomidate 100 mumol litre-1 did not significantly alter activity (88.2 (8.1) %) but 1 mmol litre-1 did (60.6 (10.4) %, P < 0.005). Halothane also caused a significant decrease in NOS activity at all concentrations. This effect was specific as other enzymes were unaffected. We conclude that anaesthetic agents have a profound effect on NOS activity and as inhibition of NO release augments anaesthesia, we suggest that this may play a role in the mechanism of anaesthesia in humans.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Anesth. Analg.Home page
K. Nagase, H. Iida, and S. Dohi
L-Arginine and Nitroglycerin Restore Hypercapnia-Induced Cerebral Vasodilation in Rabbits After its Attenuation by Ketamine
Anesth. Analg., April 1, 2002; 94(4): 954 - 958.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Anesth. Analg.Home page
J. Mullenheim, R. Rulands, T. Wietschorke, J. Fra{beta}dorf, B. Preckel, and W. Schlack
Late Preconditioning is Blocked by Racemic Ketamine, But Not by S(+)-Ketamine
Anesth. Analg., August 1, 2001; 93(2): 265 - 270.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
H. F. Galley, A. E. Le Cras, S. D. Logan, and N. R. Webster
Differential nitric oxide synthase activity, cofactor availability and cGMP accumulation in the central nervous system during anaesthesia
Br. J. Anaesth., March 1, 2001; 86(3): 388 - 394.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.