Читать книгу Gas Biology Research in Clinical Practice - Группа авторов - Страница 38

Xenon is a colorless, odorless noble gas considered chemically inert and unable to form compounds with other molecules. Xenon is a trace gas in Earth’s atmosphere, occurring at <0.087 ± 0.001 ppm and is also found in gases emitted from some mineral springs. Since Cullen and Gross [20] first used xenon on human patients in 1951, xenon has been successfully used in a number of surgical operations as an anesthetic agent. Xenon readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and has low blood/gas solubility, which is advantageous for rapid inflow and washout, associated with good cardiovascular stability and satisfactory sedation [21]. In addition to its anesthetic properties, xenon has protective effects against cerebral ischemia [22]. Decreased blood flow to the brain leads to neuronal death through necrotic and apoptotic mechanisms, which are largely dependent on the activation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. Since xenon effectively inhibits the NMDA receptor, the neuroprotective effects of xenon may be at least partially due to this inhibition [22-25]. There is evidence suggesting that brief exposure to xenon prevents myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury.