Propofol-induced spike firing suppression is more pronounced in pyramidal neurons than in fast-spiking neurons in the rat insular cortex

Highlights • Propofol-induced modulation of electrophysiological properties were compared between pyramidal and GABAergic neurons. • Propofol hyperpolarized the resting membrane potential with a decrease in the input resistance in all cell subtypes. • Propofol also suppressed repetitive spike firing in all cell subtypes. • The degree of the propofol-induced changes in the membrane and firing properties was most potent in pyramidal neurons. • Potentiation of GABAA receptor-mediated tonic currents by propofol contributes to modulation of these membrane properties.