Anesthesia and sodium channel.
- Author:
Hyun Jung KIM
1
Author Information
1. Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. anesth_hj@daum.net
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
general anesthetics;
local anesthetics;
sodium channel
- MeSH:
Action Potentials;
Anesthesia;
Anesthetics, General;
Anesthetics, Local;
Binding Sites;
Glycoproteins;
Neurons;
Sodium;
Sodium Channels
- From:Hanyang Medical Reviews
2008;28(4):36-39
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Voltage-gated sodium channels are large glycoproteins that permit selective sodium ion conduction in excitable cells such as neurons. They generate upstroke of action potential and transmit depolarizing impulses through the neuronal network including pain pathway. They are composed of core forming alpha-subunit and one or more auxiliary beta-subunits. Local anesthetics bind in the inner pore of the sodium channel. They block sodium currents and generation of action potential. Amino acid residues which contribute to the drug binding site have been identified by mutational analysis. Also, blockade of sodium ion currents has been investigated as a possible mechanism of general anesthetics. But it is not sufficient to explain the major mechanism of action of general anesthetics.
