RELAXATION OF ANAESTHETICS IN PRESENCE OF CYTO-MEMBRANES

WE recently showed that the nuclear magnetic relaxation rate of benzyl alcohol is increased in the presence of erythrocyte membranes and we concluded that this is caused by restriction of the molecular motion of the alcohol molecules imposed by the membrane structure1. With changes in alcohol concentration the relaxation rate altered in a characteristic way (Fig. 1), and it was suggested that alterations in membrane structure were induced by the alcohol which might be correlated with the physiological changes found in anaesthetic action. © 1968 Nature Publishing Group.