Features Covers all areas of topical interest in the field Critically evaluates current controversies Fills a knowledge void in the area of pharmacology concerning the mechanism of action of volatile anesthetics, providing the "cutting-edge" of extremely new information in the field Summary Molecular Bases of Anesthesia provides a clear overview of the state of knowledge about anesthetic mechanisms at the molecular level of occurrence and focusing on the latest state-of-the-art techniques that relate to how anesthetic drugs cause unconsciousness. With contributions by leading experts, this timely book includes chapters on how to evaluate theories of anesthesia in general and includes discussion of some of the techniques, such as genetics, that can be used to address problems. Also discussed are anesthetic actions at major brain targets with a special emphasis on ion channels and areas of controversy in the field. This reference provides a broad survey of anesthetic actions, including hyperbaric pressure and anesthesia; volatile anesthetic interactions with proteins; and structure activity relationships of volatile anesthetics. Molecular Bases of Anesthesia stands alone as an in-depth, authoritative guide.

BASIC PHARMACOLOGY OF VOLATILE ANESTHETICS James P. Dilger EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF VOLATILE ANESTHETIC-PROTEIN INTERACTIONS Jonas S. Johannsson and Roderic G. Eckenhoff PRESSURE AND ANESTHESIA Stephen Daniels GENETICS AND ANESTHETIC MECHANISMS Philip G. Morgan and Margaret M. Sedensky STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS OF INHALED ANESTHETICS Donald D. Koblin VOLATILE ANESTHETIC EFFECTS ON CALCIUM CHANNELS Hugh C. Hemmings, Jr. INHALATION ANESTHETIC EFFECTS ON NEURONAL PLASMA MEMBRANE CA2+ -ATPase Piotr K. Janicki ANESTHETIC MODIFICATIONS OF NEURONAL SODIUM AND POTASSIUM CHANNELS Daniel S. Duch and Tatyana N. Vysotskaya VOLATILE ANESTHETIC EFFECTS AT EXCITATORY AMINO RECEPTORS Jo Ellen Dildy-Mayfield and R. Adron Harris EFFECTS OF VOLATILE ANESTHETICS ON GABAA RECEPTORS: ELECTRICOPHYSIOLOGIC STUDIES Robert A. Pearce NEUROCHEMICAL ACTIONS OF ANESTHETICS AT THE GABAA RECEPTORS Eric J. Moody and Phil Skolnick STEREOSELECTIVE ACTIONS OF VOLATILE ANESTHETICS Phil Skolnick and Eric J. Moody EFFECTS OF VOLATILE ANESTHETICS AT NICOTINIC ACETYLCHOLINE RECEPTORS Pamela Flood INDEX