DOI: 10.1097/00000542-200602000-00012. Effects of General Anesthesia on Anandamide Blood Levels in Humans

Effects of General Anesthesia on Anandamide Blood Levels in Humans

10.1097/00000542-200602000-00012

Crossref journal-article

Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)

Anesthesiology (276)

Abstract

Background The endocannabinoid system includes G-protein-coupled cannabinoid receptors, the endocannabinoids N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, and multiple enzymes involved in the biosynthesis and degradation of endocannabinoids, including the anandamide metabolizing enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase. Endocannabinoids play an important role in the physiologic control of sleep, pain processing, and emesis. The authors therefore investigated the effects of general anesthesia on the endocannabinoid system in humans. Methods The authors measured whole blood levels of anandamide in 12 patients after induction of general anesthesia with etomidate (an agent shown to have no effect on anandamide levels) and maintenance of anesthesia with the volatile agent sevoflurane as well as in 12 patients undergoing total intravenous anesthesia with propofol, a known inhibitor of fatty acid amide hydrolase in the mouse brain. Anandamide levels were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry at four time points (before and at 10, 20, 30, and 40 min after induction of anesthesia). Results Patients of the sevoflurane group showed a significant decline in anandamide levels from induction of anesthesia to 40 min after induction, whereas anandamide levels in patients of the propofol group remained unchanged (type III sum of squares = 1725.66, F = 162.60, P < 0.001, repeated-measures analysis of variance). Conclusion General anesthesia influences the endocannabinoid system in a drug-dependent way, which may explain side effects of general anesthetics such as psychomimetic and antiemetic properties of propofol and the high incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting after volatile anesthetics. These findings suggest new targets for anesthetic drug development.

Bibliography

Schelling, G., Hauer, D., Azad, S. C., Schmoelz, M., Chouker, A., Schmidt, M., Hornuss, C., Rippberger, M., Briegel, J., Thiel, M., & Vogeser, M. (2006). Effects of General Anesthesia on Anandamide Blood Levels in Humans. Anesthesiology, 104(2), 273â277.

Authors 11

Gustav Schelling (first)
Daniela Hauer (additional)
Shahnaz Christina Azad (additional)
Martin Schmoelz (additional)
Alexander Chouker (additional)
Michael Schmidt (additional)
Cyrill Hornuss (additional)
Markus Rippberger (additional)
Josef Briegel (additional)
Manfred Thiel (additional)
Michael Vogeser (additional)

References 36 Referenced 54

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Dates

Type	When
Created	19 years, 7 months ago (Jan. 23, 2006, 4:06 a.m.)
Deposited	3 months, 2 weeks ago (May 20, 2025, 8:41 a.m.)
Indexed	5 days, 4 hours ago (Sept. 2, 2025, 6:38 a.m.)
Issued	19 years, 7 months ago (Feb. 1, 2006)
Published	19 years, 7 months ago (Feb. 1, 2006)
Published Print	19 years, 7 months ago (Feb. 1, 2006)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Schelling_2006, title={Effects of General Anesthesia on Anandamide Blood Levels in Humans}, volume={104}, ISSN={0003-3022}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00000542-200602000-00012}, DOI={10.1097/00000542-200602000-00012}, number={2}, journal={Anesthesiology}, publisher={Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)}, author={Schelling, Gustav and Hauer, Daniela and Azad, Shahnaz Christina and Schmoelz, Martin and Chouker, Alexander and Schmidt, Michael and Hornuss, Cyrill and Rippberger, Markus and Briegel, Josef and Thiel, Manfred and Vogeser, Michael}, year={2006}, month=feb, pages={273–277} }

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