Laughing gas is
Correct Answer: Nitrous oxide
Description: Humphry Davy coined the name "laughing gas" for nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or nitrous, is a chemical compound, an oxide of nitrogen with the formula N2O. At room temperature, it is a colourless, non-flammable gas, with a slight metallic scent and taste. At elevated temperatures, nitrous oxide is a powerful oxidiser similar to molecular oxygen. It is soluble in water. Nitrous oxide is a weak general anaesthetic, and so is generally not used alone in general anaesthesia, but used as a carrier gas (mixed with oxygen) for more powerful general anaesthetic drugs such as sevoflurane or desflurane. It has a minimum alveolar concentration of 105% and a blood/gas paition coefficient of 0.46. The use of nitrous oxide in anaesthesia, however, can increase the risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Recreational inhalation of nitrous oxide, with the purpose of causing euphoria and/or slight hallucinations, began as a phenomenon for the British upper class in 1799, known as "laughing gas paies". In rats, N2O stimulates the mesolimbic reward pathway by inducing dopamine release and activating dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens, presumably through antagonistic of NMDA receptors localised in the system. This action has been implicated in its euphoric effects and, notably, appears to augment its analgesic propeies as well. It is remarkable, however, that in mice, N2O blocks amphetamine-induced carrier-mediated dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens and behavioural sensitisation, abolishes the conditioned place preference (CPP) of cocaine and morphine, and does not produce reinforcing (or aversive) effects of its own. Effects of CPP of N2O in rats are mixed, consisting of reinforcement, aversion and no change. In contrast, it is a positive reinforcer in squirrel monkeys, and is well known as a drug of abuse in humans. These discrepancies in response to N2O may reflect species variation or methodological differences. In human clinical studies, N2O was found to produce mixed responses, similarly to rats, reflecting high subjective individual variability.
Category:
Anaesthesia
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