Howard A. Nash, M.D., Ph.D.
Section on Molecular Genetics
Laboratory of Molecular Biology
National Institute of Mental Health
Building 36 / Room 1B08
36 Convent Dr MSC 4034
Bethesda MD 20892-4034
Phone: (301)402-1041
Fax: (301)402-0245
e-mail: nash@codon.nih.gov
Although anesthesia has been the subject of theory and experiment for almost 100 years, there is no general agreement as to the way in which volatile anesthetics alter consciousness and pain sensation in individuals. We are trying to exploit genetic manipulation of the fruit fly to fashion an orderly inquiry into the cellular and molecular targets of such agents. In the past, we have shown that Drosophila resembles higher organisms in their sensitivity to anesthetics, suggesting that the targets have been conserved. Mutants have been isolated that have altered responses to general anesthetics and ongoing work is characterizing the genetic, pharmacological, and electrophysiological properties of the mutant flies.
Allada, R. and Nash, H.A.: Drosophila melanogaster as a model for study of general anesthesia: the quantitative response to clinical anesthetics and alkanes. Anesthesia and Alagesia 77: 19-26, 1993.
Campbell, D.B. and Nash, H.A.: Use of Drosophila mutants to distinguish among volatile general anesthetics. PNAS 91: 2135-2139, 1994.
Leibovitch, B.A., Campbell, D.B., Krishnan, K.S., and Nash, H.A.: Mutations that affect ion channels change the sensitivity of Drosophila melanogaster to volatile anesthetics. J Neurogenetics, 10:1-13, 1995.
Lin, M. and Nash, H. A.: Influence of general anesthetics on a specific neural pathway in Drosphila melanogaster. PNAS 93: 10446-10451, 1996.