The recent progress in research on effects of anesthetics and analgesics on G protein-coupled receptors

The exact mechanisms of action behind anesthetics and analgesics are still unclear. Much attention was focused on ion channels in the central nervous system as targets for anesthetics and analgesics in the 1980s. During the 1990s, major advances were made in our understanding of the physiology and pharmacology of G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling. Thus, several lines of studies have shown that G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are one of the targets for anesthetics and analgesics and especially, that some of them inhibit the functions of GPCRs, i.e,, muscarinic receptors and substance P receptors. However, these studies had been focused on only Gq coupled receptors. There has been little work on Gs- and Gi-coupled receptors. In the last decade, a new assay system, using chimera Gi/o-coupled receptor fused to Gqi5, has been established and the effects of anesthetics and analgesics on the function of Gi-coupled receptors is now more easily studied. This review highlights the recent progress of the studies regarding the effects of anesthetics and analgesics on GPCRs.