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Mechanisms of Action of Inhaled Volatile General Anesthetics: Unconsciousness at the Molecular Level

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General Anesthesia Research

Part of the book series: Neuromethods ((NM,volume 150))

Abstract

The mechanism by which general anesthetics prevent consciousness remains largely unknown because the mechanism by which brain physiology produces consciousness is yet unexplained. After its most evident goal, to allow surgery for million people in the world, the contribution of anesthesia to science is the unique and great opportunity to study consciousness.

General anesthetics drugs comprise inhaled volatile agents (e.g., isoflurane, sevoflurane, desflurane), and gases (nitrous oxide and xenon) as well as intravenous agents such as etomidate, propofol, thiopental, benzodiazepines, and ketamine. For the purposes of this chapter, because of the large number of compounds, we focus on the inhalational volatile anesthetics used in modern practice and on the fundamental question of how volatile halogenated anesthetics interact with their molecular target to produce unconsciousness.

Pieces of evidence suggest that volatile anesthetic agents do not shut down all brain activity, but they push the brain towards a distinct, highly specific and complex state. Interaction of general anesthetics with cytoskeletal microtubules, membrane and soluble protein are briefly summarized in this chapter. Nevertheless, notwithstanding considerable advances in our comprehension of the molecular properties of anesthetics, much remains to be studied about the deep and complex changes which occur at the level of neural structures during general anesthesia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy

    Daniela Baldassarre, Giuliana Scarpati & Ornella Piazza

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  1. Daniela Baldassarre
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  2. Giuliana Scarpati
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  3. Ornella Piazza
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Correspondence to Ornella Piazza .

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  1. Istituto Nazionale, Tumori - IRCCS - Fondazione Pascale, Napoli, Italy

    Marco Cascella

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Baldassarre, D., Scarpati, G., Piazza, O. (2020). Mechanisms of Action of Inhaled Volatile General Anesthetics: Unconsciousness at the Molecular Level. In: Cascella, M. (eds) General Anesthesia Research. Neuromethods, vol 150. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9891-3_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9891-3_6

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

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