Pentobarbital: selective depression of excitatory postsynaptic potentials.

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Barker JL, Gainer H

Pentobarbital: selective depression of excitatory postsynaptic potentials.

Science. 1973 Nov 16;182(4113):720-2.

PubMed ID
4356518 [ View in PubMed
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Abstract

The effects of pentobarbital (Nembutal) on synaptic transmission and postsynaptic potentials were studied by the use of several invertebrate preparations. Pentobarbital selectively and reversibly depressed both excitatory postsynaptic potentials and sodium-dependent postsynaptic responses to putative excitatory transmitters without affecting either inhibitory postsynaptic potentials or chloride- and potassium-dependent postsynaptic responses to putative transmitters. A selective depression of postsynaptic excitatory events was also observed with other central nervous system depressants (ethanol, chloroform, chloralose, diphenylhydantoin, and urethane). The results suggest that central and peripheral depression observed during general anesthesia is due to a selective depression of excitatory synaptic events.

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