Effects of general anesthetics on P2X4 receptors in a mouse microglial cell line.

The purinergic P2X4 receptors (P2X4Rs) of spinal microglia are upregulated after a peripheral nerve injury and play important roles in the pathogenesis of chronic pain. The effects of general anesthetics on chronic pain and the mechanisms are still unclear. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of general anesthetics on microglial P2X4Rs.

Inhibition of voltage-gated proton channels by local anaesthetics in GMI-R1 rat microglia.

Voltage-gated proton channels play crucial roles during the respiratory burst in phagocytes, such as microglia. As local anaesthetics have a variety of anti-inflammatory properties, including inhibition of phagocytosis, they may act on the proton channels. Most local anaesthetics are tertiary amines and may affect proton channels through modification of pH(i) as weak bases.