Anesthetics and the habenulo-interpeduncular system: selective sparing of metabolic activity

Abstract

The method of regional localization of brain metabolism by [14C]deoxyglucose during anesthesia in rats shows that pentobarbital, ether and chloral hydrate reduce deoxyglucose uptake in most neuronal regions, with one common exception: spared or increased metabolism is found in the medial habenula, the interpeduncular nucleus, and the habenulo-interpeduncular tract. Prior destruction of afferent inputs abolishes the selective metabolic sparing in the habenulo-interpeduncular system during chloral hydrate anesthesia.