ABSTRACT

This chapter gives an overview on the potential differences of aqueous compartments, separated by membranes. It suggests that clinically applied concentrations of general anaesthetics affect a number of sensitive cellular functions. Recently more and more diseases are connected in a causal or, as to our present knowledge, phenomenological way to impaired ion channel activities. The chapter discusses a few of such better-known diseases, with special references to the causal or symptomatic nature of the involvement of ion channels in their pathogenesis. An increasing number of syndromes proved to be autoimmune diseases with a high number of very different and seemingly unrelated phenomena. The general importance of ion channel activities of cell membranes, regardless of their excitable or nonexcitable nature, is underlined by the availability of more and more data showing that autoimmune diseases and also those of genetic origin have in the background of the colorful syndromes some regulatory or other functional problems of ion channel disorders.