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The effects of inhalation anesthetics on calcium-stimulated exocytosis in a natural membrane model system

Cell Biology and Toxicology volume 4, pages 149–161 (1988)Cite this article

Sea urchin egg cortices were used as an in vitro natural membrane model system to determine the effects of inhalation anesthetics on the Ca2+-regulated exocytotic fusion of cortical vesicles with the egg plasma membrane. When Ca2+ was either absent or present in amounts below the threshold for exocytosis, methoxyflurane, halothane, enflurane, isoflurane, chloroform and fluoroxene, at concentrations up to S mM, had no effect on the fusion of cortical vesicles with the plasma membrane. However, when Ca2+ was present at or above threshold levels for exocytosis, each of the tested anesthetics caused an inhibition of cortical vesicle fusion. Exocytosis was inhibited most effectively by methoxyflurane (55%), followed by halothane (30%), while fuoroxene consistently had the least effect (< 5%). These observations support the view that volatile anesthetics can impair the Ca2+-regulated fusogenic activities of natural membranes and are consistent with other data showing that inhalational agents inhibit secretory processes in intact cells.

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Abbreviations

PIPES:

piperazine-N-N′-bis (2-ethane sulfonic acid)

PMSF:

phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride

SW:

sea water

TAPS:

trishydroxymethyl-methylaminopropane sulfonic acid

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Affiliations

  1. Departments of Anatomy & Cell Biology and Anesthesiology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida

    George Lederhaas & Robert E. Hinkley Jr.

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  1. George Lederhaas
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  2. Robert E. Hinkley Jr.
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Lederhaas, G., Hinkley, R.E. The effects of inhalation anesthetics on calcium-stimulated exocytosis in a natural membrane model system. Cell Biol Toxicol 4, 149–161 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00119242

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00119242

Key words

  • anesthetics
  • Ca2+-regulated membrane fusion
  • exocytosis
  • halothane
  • methoxyflurane
  • sea urchin
  • secretion