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. 1976 Nov;58(3):359–366. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1976.tb07712.x

General anaesthetics and the acetylcholine-sensitivity of cortical neurons.

J C Smaje
PMCID: PMC1667534  PMID: 990586

Abstract

1The effects of general anaesthetics on neuronal responses to iontophoretically-applied acetylcholine have been examined in slices of guinea-pig olfactory cortex maintained in vitro. 2 Acetylcholine excited 61% of the prepiriform neurones tested. The excitation was blocked by atropine, but not by dihydro-beta-erythroidine or gallamine. 3 Alphaxalone reversibly depressed the acetylcholine-sensitivity of prepiriform neurones. Pentobarbitone did not consistently depress the acetylcholine sensitivity of these cells. 4 Ether, methoxyflurane, trichloroethylene and halothane caused a dose-related augmentation of acetylcholine-induced firing. 5 These results show that general anaesthetics do not necessarily depress the sensitivity of nerve cells to all excitatory substances and that different anaesthetics may affect a particular excitatory process in various ways.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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