In Reply:--We thank Orser and MacDonald for their opinion, which highlights the reliability of our results on modulation of glutamate receptor subtypes by propofol. [1]A similar interpretation of our data on modulation of NMDA-induced convulsions by propofol was made by one of the reviewers of the manuscript. The data suggest some inhibitory action of propofol against NMDA-induced convulsions. We deemed it appropriate to be conservative in our inference on data that were not statistically significant, especially because these results were from an in vivo paradigm and thus vulnerable to modulation by multiple factors. On the contrary, the in vitro results have the advantage of being immune to the impact of multiple factors working in concert. Hence, it is reassuring to note that some in vitro data, [2,3]published after our manuscript was processed, bolster our in vivo findings.

Mylarrao Bansinath, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor

Vijay Kumar Shukla, Ph.D., Research Fellow

Herman Turndorf, MD, Professor and Chairman, Department of Anesthesiology, New York University Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, New York 10016

1.
Bansinath M, Shukla VK, Turndorf H: Propofol modulates the effects of chemoconvulsants acting at the GABAergic, glycinergic, and glutamate receptor subtypes. ANESTHESIOLOGY 1995; 83:809-15.
2.
Orser BA, Bertlik M, Wang L-Y, MacDonald JF: Inhibition by propofol (2,6 diisopropylphenol) of the N-methyl-D-aspartate subtype of glutamate receptor in cultured hippocampal neurones. Br J Pharmacol 1995; 166:1761-8.
3.
Yamakura T, Sakimura K, Shimoji K, Mishina M: Effect of propofol on various AMPA-, kainate- and NMDA-selective glutamate receptor channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Neurosci Lett 1995; 188:187-90.
Copyright 1996 by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, Inc.