title: Halothane and isoflurane alter calcium dynamics in rat cerebrocortical synaptosomes.
abstract: An increase in synaptosomal Ca2+ triggers neurotransmitter release and volatile anesthetics have been shown to inhibit neurotransmitter release by inhibition of Ca2+ entry. We have examined the effect of isoflurane and halothane on the kinetics of increase and decrease of Ca2+ in rat cerebrocortical synaptosomes ([Ca2+]in). We have also used specific Ca2+ antagonists to examine the role of L-, N-, and P-type Ca2+ channels. Synaptosomal [Ca2+]in was measured spectrofluorometrically using fura-2 as a Ca2+ reporter; Ca2+ transients were initiated by depolarization with 40 mM KCl. We found that < or = 1 minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration halothane and isoflurane decreased peak [Ca2+]in by approximately 40%, that both anesthetics decreased the rate of [Ca2+]in increase and decrease, that specific voltage-dependent calcium channel antagonists had little effect on peak or plateau [Ca2+]in, and that the volatile anesthetics increased the permeability of synaptosomal membranes to Ca2+. These results suggest that the volatile anesthetics, at clinically relevant concentrations, can alter Ca2+ homeostasis in the synapse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinically relevant concentrations of halothane and isoflurane markedly depress K+-evoked increases in rat cerebrocortical synaptosomal calcium (Ca2+) unrelated to L-, N-, and P-type voltage-dependent calcium channels and increase the Ca2+ permeability of the synaptosomal membrane. These changes in Ca2+ dynamics could have profound effects on Ca2+ signaling in the synapse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York 10021, USA.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sarti
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Blanck
mesh_terms: D018681:Anesthetics, General / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006221:Halothane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000187:drug effects; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D013574:Synaptosomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018681:Anesthetics, General; D015220:Calcium Channels; D007530:Isoflurane; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium; D006221:Halothane