Acetylcholine receptor channel properties are modified by benzyl alcohol.
The effect of the general anaesthetic, benzyl alcohol, on the nicotinic cholinergic receptor (AChR) was evaluated at the single channel level using the patch-clamp technique. Benzyl alcohol decreases both the conductance (about 2-fold with 40 mM benzyl alcohol) and the mean open time (about 2.5-fold) of the AChR channels. When modified channels are activated by high ACh concentrations, groups of brief channel openings are observed. Each group is in turn composed of a higher number of openings than in non-treated receptors. Similar modifications are observed when benzyl alcohol is applied from the cytoplasmic side of the membrane, suggesting that the general anaesthetic interacts with a nonspecific site, possibly the lipid-protein interface.
Bouzat
C
C
Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquimicas, CONICET, Bahia Blanca, Argentina.
Barrantes
F J
FJ
D000818:Animals; D019905:Benzyl Alcohol; D001592:Benzyl Alcohols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000187:drug effects*; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D009132:Muscles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000187:drug effects*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
D001592:Benzyl Alcohols; D007473:Ion Channels; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D019905:Benzyl Alcohol