Volatile anesthetic effects on inositol trisphosphate-gated intracellular calcium stores in GH3 cells.

The experimental results reviewed in this article indicate that clinically relevant concentrations of halothane (and isoflurane and octanol) cause calcium to leak from IP3-gated intracellular calcium stores, resulting in depletion of the stores. Depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores should attenuate the actions of a variety of hormones and neurotransmitters that use the IP3 pathway to produce their effects, potentially contributing to many volatile anesthetic side effects including bronchodilatation, vasodilatation, and unresponsiveness to vasoconstrictive agents.