title: Degenerate perturbations of protein structure as the mechanism of anaesthetic action.
abstract: The interaction of the n-alkanols with lipid bilayers and excitable membranes shows that there is no simple correlation between conduction block and any of the perturbations of bilayer structure currently proposed as unitary mechanisms of local anaesthetic action. We propose instead that the n-alkanols act by direct interaction with target proteins to cause perturbations which depend directly on the precise structure of the alcohol.
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008560:Membrane Fluidity / Q000187:drug effects*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008954:Models, Biological; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D011487:Protein Conformation / Q000187:drug effects; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins