Figure 1. Tracings showing the experimental protocol to study the effects of isoflurane on submaximum Ca^2+-activatedforce development in skinned femoral arterial strips and to collect strips to quantify myosin light chain isoforms. Tracings showed that two skinned strips were initially activated by a buffer solution containing 1 [micro sign]M Ca²⁺until steady state force developed. One strip (A; time control) was then tested in a fresh buffer solution containing no isoflurane (+0%). A different strip (B; test) was tested in a buffer containing 3% isoflurane (+3% isoflurane). The peak force after administration of the second buffer was compared with that of the control (before administration of the second buffer). In another group of experiments, the strips were frozen (open arrows) during force development (within 1 min) or at peak force (5 min) after administration of the second buffer solution without or with isoflurane to quantify myosin light chain isoforms.