eNeuro
-
Volatile anesthetics affect neuronal signaling by poorly understood mechanisms. Activation of central dopaminergic pathways has been implicated in emergence from general anesthesia. The volatile anesthetic isoflurane differentially inhibits glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic vesicle (SV) exocytosis by reducing presynaptic Ca2+ influx without affecting the Ca2+-exocytosis relationship, but its effects on dopaminergic exocytosis are unclear. ⋯ Additionally, isoflurane inhibited single AP-evoked Ca2+ influx by 41 ± 3% and single AP-evoked exocytosis by 34 ± 6%. Comparable reductions in exocytosis and Ca2+ influx were produced by lowering extracellular [Ca2+]. Thus, isoflurane inhibits exocytosis from dopaminergic neurons by a mechanism distinct from that in non-dopaminergic neurons involving reduced Ca2+ entry through CaV2.1 and/or CaV2.2.