Papers of the Week

Volatile anaesthetics (VAs) are the most widely used compounds to induce reversible loss of consciousness and maintain general anaesthesia during surgical interventions. Although the mechanism of their action is not yet fully understood, it is generally believed, that VAs depress central nervous system functions mainly through modulation of ion channels in the neuronal membrane, including 2-pore-domain K+ channels, GABA and NMDA receptors. Recent research also reported their action on nociceptive and thermosensitive TRP channels expressed in the peripheral nervous system, including TRPV1, TRPA1, and TRPM8. Here, we investigated the effect of VAs on TRPM3, a less characterized member of the thermosensitive TRP channels playing a central role in noxious heat sensation.