Inhalational anesthetics accelerate desensitization of acid-sensing ion channels.

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are neuronal Na channels that are activated by extracellular acidification. Inhibiting ASICs is neuroprotective in mouse models of ischemic stroke. As inhalational anesthetics interact with many ion channels and as some of them have neuroprotective effects, we hypothesized that inhalational anesthetics modulate ASICs.