title: Pentobarbital and halothane hyperpolarize cat alpha-motoneurons.
abstract: The effect of anesthetics on the membrane potential of spinal alpha-motoneurons was studied in awake-intact cats that were sequentially anesthetized with either halothane or pentobarbital. Pentobarbital (35 mg/kg) and halothane (5%) both induced a 5 mV hyperpolarization and a reduction in spontaneous synaptic activity of motoneurons. We suggest that a reduction in the urinary EPSP frequencies contributes to the hyperpolarization and the membrane potential criterion of acceptable impalements of motoneurons in awake-intact preparations should be 5 mV more depolarized than that in anesthetized preparations.
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D006221:Halothane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011930:Reaction Time
chemical_list: D010424:Pentobarbital; D006221:Halothane