Interaction of central nervous system effects of high pressures with barbiturates.

The interactions of phenobarbital, barbital, and pentobarbital with high pressures of heliox were explored. Principal features of the complex results include: double peaks in the time course of convulsion thresholds (Pc); an early peak and a shoulder in the time course of pressures reversing anesthesia (Pa); far steeper dose-response curves for Pa than for Pc; selectively greater anticonvulsant effect for phenobarbital than for the other barbiturates; and enhancement of Pa with simultaneous depression of Pc by reserpine in phenobarbital-pretreated mice. The data indicate the existence of at least two discrete sites of interaction between barbiturates and high pressure, reflected by Pc and Pa. The implications of the data for the development of biophysical theories of pressure reversal of anesthesia and anti-high-pressure neurological syndrome action of anesthetics are discussed, together with implications for the experimental study of convulsant and anticonvulsant agents, and their applications to underwater physiology.