Abstract
Anesthesia is a prerequisite for most surgical procedures in both animals and humans. Significant strides have been made in search of effective and safer compounds that elicit rapid induction and recovery from anesthesia. However, recent studies have highlighted possible negative effects of several anesthetic agents on the developing brain. The precise nature of this cytotoxicity remains to be determined mainly due to the complexity and the intricacies of the mammalian brain. Various invertebrates have contributed significantly toward our understanding of how both local and general anesthetics affect intrinsic membrane and synaptic properties. Moreover, the ability to reconstruct in vitro synapses between individually identifiable pre- and postsynaptic neurons is a unique characteristic of molluscan neurons allowing us to ask fundamental questions vis-à-vis the long-term effects of anesthetics on neuronal viability and synaptic connectivity. Here, we highlight some of the salient aspects of various molluscan organisms and their contributions toward our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying the actions of anesthetic agents as well as their potential detrimental effects on neuronal growth and synaptic connectivity. We also present some novel preliminary data regarding a newer anesthetic agent, dexmedetomidine, and its effects on synaptic transmission between Lymnaea neurons. The findings presented here underscore the importance of invertebrates for research in the field of anesthesiology while highlighting their relevance to both vertebrates and humans.
Highlights
A wide variety of anesthetic compounds are safely administered to patients of all ages every year
From initial studies on the effects of anesthetics in L. forbesi, to more recent work with other mollusc species, including the highly versatile L. stagnalis, it is clear that molluscs continue to serve as valuable organisms for fundamental basic science anesthetic research
Researchers are able to define the effects of anesthetic compounds on brain function—from single ion channels, to neuronal intrinsic and synaptic properties at a resolution not approachable elsewhere
Summary
A wide variety of anesthetic compounds are safely administered to patients of all ages every year. General anesthetic agents can be broadly classified as either volatile inhaled compounds, or intravenously administered compounds. There is a wide range of volatile anesthetic compounds, from simple diatomic compounds such as nitrous oxide, to fluorinated ethers including the modern volatile anesthetics isoflurane, sevoflurane, and desflurane. Intravenous anesthetics are even more varied, from simple hydrocarbons to steroid compounds (Harrison et al, 1987). Common intravenous anesthetics include propofol and ketamine. Since there is a broad spectrum of compounds exhibiting anesthetic effects, there remains significant uncertainty as to how and where these compounds act at the molecular and cellular levels
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