Abstract
We investigated the extent of isoflurane-induced neurodegeneration on the fetuses of pregnant rats exposed in utero. Pregnant rats at gestational d 21 were divided into three experimental groups. Rats in the control group spontaneously breathed 100% oxygen for 1 h. Rats in the treatment groups breathed either 1.3 or 3% isoflurane in 100% oxygen through an endotracheal tube, with mechanical ventilation for 1 h. Rat pups were delivered by cesarian section 6 h after treatment, and fetal blood was sampled from the left ventricle of each fetal heart and evaluated for S100β. Fetal brains were then evaluated for apoptosis, using caspase-3 immunohistochemistry in the CA1 region of the hippocampus and the retrosplenial cortex (RS). The 3% isoflurane treatment group showed significantly higher levels of S100β levels and significantly increased average densities of total caspase-3–positive cells in the CA1 hippocampus and RS cortex compared with the control and the 1.3% isoflurane groups. There were no differences in S100β levels or densities of caspase-3–positive cells between the control and 1.3% isoflurane groups. Isoflurane at a concentration of 3% for 1 h increased neurodegeneration in the hippocampal CA1 area and the retrosplenial cortex in the developing brain of fetal rats.
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Abbreviations
- ABG:
-
arterial blood gas
- MAC:
-
minimal alveolar concentration
- MAP:
-
mean arterial blood pressure
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Acknowledgements
We gratefully recognize the discussions with Roderic Eckenhoff, M.D., Professor of Anesthesia, Maryellen Eckenhoff, Ph.D., Research Associate, and Randall Pittman, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacology, from the University Of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA. We thank Dr. Christopher Ward from the Children Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for editing the manuscript.
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Wang, S., Peretich, K., Zhao, Y. et al. Anesthesia-Induced Neurodegeneration in Fetal Rat Brains. Pediatr Res 66, 435–440 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1203/PDR.0b013e3181b3381b
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/PDR.0b013e3181b3381b
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