The thermodynamics of general anesthesia

Abstract

It is known that the action of general anesthetics is proportional to their partition coefficient in lipid membranes (Meyer-Overton rule). This solubility is, however, directly related to the depression of the temperature of the melting transition found close to body temperature in biomembranes. We propose a thermodynamic extension of the Meyer-Overton rule which is based on free energy changes in the system and thus automatically incorporates the effects of melting point depression. This model provides a quantitative explanation of the pressure reversal of anesthesia. Further, it explains why inflammation and the addition of divalent cations reduce the effectiveness of anesthesia.

7 pages, 2 figures

Cited by in corpus (4)

• The temperature dependence of lipid membrane permeability, its quantized nature, and the influence of anesthetics
• The influence of anesthetics, neurotransmitters and antibiotics on the relaxation processes in lipid membranes
• Melting of Single Lipid Components in Binary Lipid Mixtures: A Comparison between FTIR Spectroscopy, DSC and Monte Carlo Simulations
• Physical Properties of Biological Membranes