Lysosomal mutations increase susceptibility to anaesthetics

The anaesthetic responses of homozygous mutant mice were compared with those of their normal heterozygous littermates. The two recessive mutations studied were beige (bg) and reduced pigmentation (rp). Homozygosity for either significantly increased the sleeping time of both sexes after treatment with pentobarbital, tribromoethanol or the steroid anaesthetic alphaxalone.