title: The imidazobenzodiazepine Ro 15-4513 antagonizes methoxyflurane anesthesia.
abstract: Parenteral administration of the imidazobenzodiazepine Ro 15-4513 (a high affinity ligand of the benzodiazepine receptor with partial inverse agonist qualities) produced a dose dependent reduction in sleep time of mice exposed to the inhalation anesthetic, methoxyflurane. The reductions in methoxyflurane sleep time ranged from approximately 20% at 4 mg/kg to approximately 38% at 32 mg/kg of Ro 15-4513. Co-administration of the benzodiazepine receptor antagonist Ro 15-1788 (16 mg/kg) or the inverse agonists DMCM (5-20 mg/kg) and FG 7142 (22.5 mg/kg) blocks this effect which suggests that the reductions in methoxyflurane sleep time produced by Ro 15-4513 are mediated via occupation of benzodiazepine receptors. Moreover, neither DMCM (5-20 mg/kg) nor FG 7142 (22.5 mg/kg) reduced methoxyflurane sleep time which suggests this effect of Ro 15-4513 cannot be attributed solely to its partial inverse agonist properties. These observations support recent findings that inhalation anesthetics may produce their depressant effects via perturbation of the benzodiazepine/GABA receptor chloride channel complex, and suggest that Ro 15-4513 may serve as a prototype of agents capable of antagonizing the depressant effects of inhalation anesthetics such as methoxyflurane.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroscience, NIDDK, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Moody
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Skolnick
mesh_terms: D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000818:Animals; D001386:Azides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002243:Carbolines / Q000494:pharmacology; D005442:Flumazenil / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008733:Methoxyflurane / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D051379:Mice; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000187:drug effects; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D001386:Azides; D002243:Carbolines; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D001569:Benzodiazepines; C034818:methyl 6,7-dimethoxy-4-ethyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxylate; D008733:Methoxyflurane; D005442:Flumazenil; C035874:FG 7142; C042957:Ro 15-4513