Outstanding! Thanks for the links!

Now I gotta find time to read all this stuff.

Scott


----- Original Message -----
From: "Joel Markwell" <joeldm@mi*.co*>
To: "Techdiver" <techdiver@aquanaut.com>
Cc: "Scott" <scottk@hc*.co*>
Sent: Thursday, December 09, 1999 9:52 AM
Subject: Re: Nitrous Oxide "diving"


> Scott,
>
> I tried to look up any info a few years ago about the similarity between
> Nitrous and Narcosis, but didn't really find anything. I'd bet it's there
to
> be found these days. I did find this paragraph:
>
> "Now, the interesting part is that nitrous oxide is an inhalation
anesthetic
> because it dissolves in synaptic lipid membranes. So it's not a
coincidence
> that nitrous oxide is a whipped cream propellant and
> an inhalation anesthetic: nitrous oxide dissolves in fatty cream and it
also
> dissolves in fatty cell membranes.
>
> Lots of things work as inhalation anesthetics; the better they dissolve in
> the lipid membranes, the lower the pressure required. This is why spot
> removers like ether and chloroform work as anesthetics
> in low concentration. At high enough pressure, even nitrogen will dissolve
> in membranes; this causes nitrogen narcosis in divers. Even an inert gas
> like argon will work as an anesthetic since it will
> dissolve in membranes under enough pressure. This is also why people sniff
> fat-soluble gases like propane and freon to get high."
>
> Lipids:
> "<chemical> Any of a heterogeneous group of fats and fatlike substances
> characterised by being water insoluble and being extractable by nonpolar
(or
> fat) solvents such as alcohol, ether, chloroform,
> benzene, etc. All contain as a major constituent aliphatic hydrocarbons.
The
> lipids, which are easily stored in the body, serve as a source of fuel,
are
> an important constituent of cell structure and serve other
> biological functions. Lipids may be considered to include fatty acids,
> neutral fats, waxes and steroids. Compound lipids comprise the
glycolipids,
> lipoproteins and phospholipids."
>
> Synaptic Membranes:
> "Cell membranes associated with synapses. Both presynaptic and
postsynaptic
> membranes are included along with their integral or tightly associated
> specializations for the release or reception of
> transmitters."
>
> As far as my head was concerned, I couldn't see a lot of difference. But
it
> sounds like _any_ gas that is transportable to the fatty membranes and/or
> the synaptic lipid membranes is potentially narcotic. Is the similarity in
> names just a coincidence?
>
> I did find this, though:
>
> http://www.anesthesia.wisc.edu/Topics/Physiology/nitrousoxide.html
>
>  . . . and this from the Compressed Gas Association:
>
> http://www.cganet.com/N2O/factsht.htm
>
>  . . . and a links page:
>
> http://nepenthes.lycaeum.org/Drugs/N2O/
>
> Later,
>
> JoeL
>
> > From: "Scott" <scottk@hc*.co*>
> > Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 09:20:40 -0800
> > To: <tgunther@co*.co*>, "Joel Markwell" <joeldm@mi*.co*>
> > Cc: "Techdiver" <techdiver@aquanaut.com>
> > Subject: Re: Nitrous Oxide "diving"
> >
> > On a serious note, isn't this basically the same mechanism and buzz as
> > narcosis in diving? Increased PPN? Any docs out there?

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