Genetic background differences between FVB and C57BL/6 mice affect hypnotic susceptibility to pentobarbital, ketamine and nitrous oxide, but not isoflurane.
BACKGROUND
Pharmacogenomics has allowed us to identify the mechanisms underlying much of the inherited variability in drug response. There have been several reports of strain-dependent anesthetic actions in rodents, indicating that significant genetic differences exist in the hypnotic and antinociceptive effects of various anesthetics.


METHODS
Loss of righting reflex was used to compare the hypnotic action of pentobarbital, ketamine, nitrous oxide and isoflurane between two genetically different populations of mice, C57BL/6 with black hair and Friends virus B (FVB) with white hair.


RESULTS
C57BL/6 mice were more susceptible than FVB mice to the hypnotic effects of ketamine, pentobarbital and nitrous oxide. However, the sensitivity to isoflurane did not differ between C57BL/6 and FVB mice.


CONCLUSIONS
Genetic background affects the hypnotic susceptibility to some anesthetic agents in mice. Our results indicate that there may be a different genetic basis for the operation of hypnosis between isoflurane and other anesthetics, such as pentobarbital, ketamine and nitrous oxide.
Sato
Y
Y
Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi, Japan.
Seo
N
N
Kobayashi
E
E
D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005622:Friend murine leukemia virus / Q000235:genetics; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007649:Ketamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000187:drug effects; D012018:Reflex / Q000187:drug effects; D013045:Species Specificity
D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D007649:Ketamine; D007530:Isoflurane; D010424:Pentobarbital; D009609:Nitrous Oxide