title: Enhancement of diazepam and gamma-aminobutyric acid binding by (+)etomidate and pentobarbital.
abstract: (+)Etomidate and pentobarbital enhance [3H]diazepam and [3H]gamma-aminobutyric acid [( 3H]GABA) binding to cerebral cortex membranes. Both (+)etomidate and pentobarbital increase the affinity of [3H]diazepam for its binding sites. In contrast, they increase the Bmax of both the high- and low-affinity GABA receptor sites. The enhancement of [3H]diazepam and [3H]GABA by (+)etomidate and pentobarbital is blocked by GABA antagonists. These results indicate that hypnotic drugs such as (+)etomidate and pentobarbital, which are not structurally related, modulate diazepam and GABA binding sites via similar mechanisms.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D003975:Diazepam / Q000378:metabolism*; D005045:Etomidate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007093:Imidazoles; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D010424:Pentobarbital; D003975:Diazepam; D005045:Etomidate