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Implications for theories of anaesthesia of antagonism between anaesthetic and non-anaesthetic steroids

Abstract

The non-anaesthetic steroid Δ16-alphaxalone antagonises the depressant action of the anaesthetic steroid alphaxalone on synaptic transmission. This antagonism is not predicted by classical theories of anaesthesia and therefore poses fundamental questions about the molecular basis of anaesthesia.

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Richards, C., Hesketh, T. Implications for theories of anaesthesia of antagonism between anaesthetic and non-anaesthetic steroids. Nature 256, 179–182 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/256179a0

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