Effects of the Anesthetic Gases Xenon, Halothane, and Isoflurane on Calcium and Potassium Currents in Human Atrial Cardiomyocytes

Abstract

Halothane and isoflurane exhibited considerable inhibitory effects on voltage-gated cardiac Ca2+ and K+ currents important for the duration of action potentials and the repolarization. Xenon, in contrast, did not affect Ca2+ currents and only slightly inhibited transient K+ outward currents, in line with the almost absent cardiac side effects of the noble gas.