EFFECT OF THE GENERAL ANESTHETIC HALOTHANE ON THE ACTIVITY OF THE TRANSVERSE TUBULE CA2-ACTIVATED K+ CHANNEL()

The effect of the general anesthetic halothane on the activity of the rat skeletal muscle Ca2+-activated K+ channel in planar lipid bilayers was investigated. Halothane concentrations in the clinical range (1.0 -0.2 mM) alter the regulation of the channel by both Ca2+ and membrane potential. At Ca2+ concentrations between 10 and 250 muM and membrane potentials between 0 and -30 mV, halothane significantly decreases th e open state probability without changing the channel conductance. The results demonstrate that halothane can act directly on the Ca2+-activ ated K+ channel or its lipid environment to alter the channel gating k inetics.