Halothane Minimum Alveolar Anesthetic Concentration and Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity of the Dorsal Horn and the Locus Ceruleus in Rats

Abstract

We examined the effects of a selective neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, 7-nitro indazole, on halothane minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration and measured the nitric oxide synthase activity in the spinal cord and the locus ceruleus of Sprague-Dawley rats using nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase staining method. 7-Nitro indazole decreased both the minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration and neuronal nitric oxide synthase activity.