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Abstract

support the multi-site expansion hypothesis whereby "general anaesthesia results from the expansion of differing sites which vary in their physical properties. ''l There is, however, another explanation for these data which seems to have been overlooked, namely that anaesthesia and analgesia are different phenomena. 2'3 For" this reason these two entirely different conditions could be mediated by dissimilar means. 3'4 It is therefore conceivable that whilst the underlying mechanism for anaesthesia is a non-specific membrane effect, that for analgesia involves stereo-specific occupation of receptors by specific pharmacological agents.4

Cellular Neurophysiology

“…Thus the reduced P. caused by 1P5 atm N20 is restored to normal by 98-5 atm He, an effect most simply explained by hydrostatic pressure dissociating N20 from the ion channel. A similiar pressure reduces the anaesthetic effect of nitrous oxide in newts (20°C) and mice (Miller, 1972;Cohen, 1992).…”