Pressure Effect on the Membrane Action of a Nerve-Blocking Spin Label

AUTOR(ES)

Hsia, J. C.

RESUMO

A reversible nerve-blocking spin label, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) was used to study the nature of anesthetic-binding sites in nerve membranes as a function of pressure. The nerve-blocking effect of TEMPO is enhanced under pressure. At atmospheric pressure, TEMPO blocks nerve conduction by solubilizing in the apolar region of the nerve membrane. However, the nerve-conduction-block by TEMPO at 150 atm of helium was related to the binding of TEMPO to a pressure-induced high-affinity polar site in the nerve membrane. The new TEMPO-binding site could not be detected in lipid model membranes and, thus, the involvement of membrane protein in the new site was inferred. Pressure may induce a nerve membrane conformation change in the presence of TEMPO.

Documentos Relacionados

• The effect of temperature on the nerve-blocking action of benzyl alcohol on the squid giant axon.
• A spin label study of the effect of chrysotile asbestos on erythrocyte membranes.
• Spin-label studies of the excitable membranes of nerve and muscle.
• Spin-Label Electron Spin Resonance Study of the Lipid-Containing Membrane of Influenza Virus
• A spin label study of the effects of asbestos, quartz, and titanium dioxide dusts on the bovine erythrocyte membrane.