Kinetic and Thermodynamic Aspects of the Mechanism of General Anesthesia in a Model System of Firefly Luminescence in Vitro

Abstract

Cell-free firefly-tail extract emits light when ATP is added. The flash intensity follows first-order kinetics. Methoxyflurane, chloroform, halothane, enflurane, and fluroxene inhibited this reaction. Tensions which inhibited flash intensity 50 per cent were 2.1 X 10-3 atm, 9.0 X 10-4 atm, 1.04 X 10