title: Halothane suppresses slow inward currents in hippocampal slices.
abstract: Single-electrode voltage-clamp experiments were made on CA1 neurons in the presence of tetrodotoxin and K channel blockers. Applications of halothane (1-3% v/v) for 3-10 min caused a similar marked and reversible depression of slow inward currents (probably Ca currents) evoked by depolarizing pulses from a holding potential near -80 or near -40 mV. The peak amplitudes of the inward currents were much reduced, in a concentration-dependent manner, and they decayed more rapidly (half-decay time was shortened by a quarter). In most cases, leak conductances were diminished by halothane, making it unlikely that the suppression of inward currents was primarily caused by enhancement of outward currents. A similar inactivation of Ca currents in presynaptic terminals would explain why halothane depresses synaptic transmission.
authors.affiliation: Anaesthesia Research Department, McGill University, Montréal, Qué., Canada.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krnjević
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Puil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006221:Halothane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D006221:Halothane