The Journal of physiology
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The Journal of physiology · May 1987
Lung reflexes and nasal vascular resistance in the anaesthetized dog.
1. In pentobarbitone-anaesthetized dogs the nasal vasculature was perfused on both sides, and nasal vascular and airflow resistances were measured together with blood pressure, heart rate and tidal airflow. 2. Capsaicin was injected intravenously to stimulate lung C-fibre receptors, and veratrine to stimulate pulmonary stretch receptors and cardiac receptors. ⋯ Thus cardiac receptors seem to increase nasal vascular resistance. 5. Injections of capsaicin and veratrine into the nasal circulation decreased nasal vascular resistance, with a stimulation of breathing and changes in blood pressure. Denervations indicated that these were a combination of local and reflex actions.
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The Journal of physiology · May 1987
Potentiation of gamma-aminobutyric-acid-activated chloride conductance by a steroid anaesthetic in cultured rat spinal neurones.
1. Intracellular recordings from cultured rat spinal cord neurones demonstrated that Cl(-)-dependent responses to GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) (but not glycine) were increased in amplitude and duration by the steroid anaesthetic alphaxalone (3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnane-11,20-dione) at submicromolar concentrations that produced little or no effect on passive electrical properties. The non-anaesthetic 3 beta-hydroxy analogue was without effect on GABA-evoked responses. 2. ⋯ Taken together, these findings indicate that the steroid anaesthetic is able to directly activate Cl- conductance normally activated by GABA in spinal neurones. 5. The actions of the steroid at GABA-receptor-Cl(-)-channel complexes are similar to those produced by the anaesthetic barbiturates (e.g. pentobarbitone), although obtained at 50-100-fold lower concentrations. These effects on the inhibitory Cl(-)-conductance mechanism may be partly responsible for the depressant actions of alphaxalone on the mammalian central nervous system.