title: A hypothetical model on the mechanism of anesthesia.
abstract: An hypothesis on the mechanism of action of general anesthetic agents is proposed. It is based on a potentiation of chloride influx due to the action of anesthetic agents on the GABA-receptor complex at the lipid-protein interface. This hypothesis accommodates various observations such as lipid solubility of anesthetic molecules, their lack of stringent structural requirement, pressure reversal of anesthetic action, and other neurochemical and neuropharmacological data.
mesh_terms: D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000777:Anesthetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002712:Chlorides / Q000378:metabolism; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000777:Anesthetics; D002712:Chlorides; D007473:Ion Channels; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid