Does nitrous oxide induce release of brain opioid peptides?
Increased concentrations of immunoreactive methionine-enkephalin but not leucine-enkephalin were measured in fractions of cerebrospinal fluid perfusate collected from ventricular-cisternally perfused, urethane-anesthetized rats exposed to a mixture of 75% nitrous oxide/25% oxygen for 60 min. These findings suggest that nitrous oxide might be capable of inducing the release of methionine-enkephalin in the central nervous system.
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D004723:Endorphins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008297:Male; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013997:Time Factors
D004723:Endorphins; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine; D009609:Nitrous Oxide