The thermodynamics of general anesthesia

Details The thermodynamics of general anesthesia The thermodynamics of general anesthesia

2006-10-19

arxiv.org/abs/physics/0610147v1

Biophys. J. 92 (2007) 3159-3165

Physics

Biological Physics

7 pages, 2 figures

Scientific paper

10.1529/biophysj.106.099754

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.

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