Annual review of pharmacology and toxicology
-
Annu. Rev. Pharmacol. Toxicol. · Jan 2001
ReviewAnesthetics and ion channels: molecular models and sites of action.
The mechanisms of general anesthesia in the central nervous system are finally yielding to molecular examination. As a result of research during the past several decades, a group of ligand-gated ion channels have emerged as plausible targets for general anesthetics. ⋯ In vivo significance of a putative anesthetic target can now be examined by targeted gene manipulations in mice. In this review, we summarize from a molecular perspective recent advances in our understanding of mechanisms of action of general anesthetics on ligand-gated ion channels.