title: G-protein-coupled receptors.
abstract: G-Protein-coupled receptors mediate many of the hypnotic and analgesic actions of the drugs employed in anesthesia. Notably, opioid agonists represent the most successful and efficacious class of analgesic agents employed over the last century. Also, major clinical advances have been made by the study of alpha(2) adrenoceptor agonists, which possess both hypnotic and analgesic qualities that are being increasingly exploited in both anesthetic and critical care settings. Furthermore orexin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) (B), and muscarinic cholinergic receptors have been identified as potential anesthetic targets; clinical exploitation of ligands at these receptors may lead to important advances in anesthetic pharmacology. In this review we discuss the relevant molecular and neural network pharmacology of anesthetic agents acting at G-protein-coupled receptors.
authors.affiliation: Academic Anaesthetics, Imperial College, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, UK, m.maze@ic.ac.uk.
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brian
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maze
mesh_terms: D000322:Adrenergic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D058647:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000777:Anesthetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018678:Cholinergic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003243:Consciousness / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D064446:Orexin Receptors; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000187:drug effects; D011487:Protein Conformation; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B / Q000187:drug effects; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000187:drug effects; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide / Q000187:drug effects; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000819:agonists
chemical_list: D000322:Adrenergic Agonists; D058647:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000777:Anesthetics; D018678:Cholinergic Agents; D064446:Orexin Receptors; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide; D011957:Receptors, Opioid