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All Lipid-soluble Anaesthetics protect Red Cells

Nature New Biology volume 231, pages 284–285 (1971)Cite this article

Abstract

FOR the study of molecular events involved in the membrane action of anaesthetics, a cell is required which responds to all anaesthetics and which has a membrane that can be readily isolated. Erythrocytes may serve this purpose both qualitatively and quantitatively, for all lipid-soluble anaesthetics examined so far protect these cells from hypotonic haemolysis. Table 1 lists the anti-haemolytic concentrations of twelve different families of lipid-soluble anaesthetics including steroids1, alcohols2,3, tranquillizers4, fatty acids5, detergents6,7, propranolol8, vasodilators9 and barbiturates10. Drugs which are highly water-soluble, on the other hand, do not protect erythrocytes from hypotonic haemolysis. Tetrodotoxin is a lipid-insoluble local anaesthetic and does not protect human erythrocytes; this compound, however, does not always anaesthetize excitable membranes18.

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  1. Pharmacology Department, University of Toronto, Toronto, 5

    S. ROTH & P. SEEMAN

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  1. S. ROTH
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ROTH, S., SEEMAN, P. All Lipid-soluble Anaesthetics protect Red Cells. Nature New Biology 231, 284–285 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/newbio231284a0

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