Genotoxicity of Anesthetics EvaluatedIn Vivo(Animals)

Abstract

The anesthesia has been improved all over the years. However, it can have impact on health, in both patients and animals anesthetized, as well as professionals exposed to inhaled anesthetics. There is continuing effort to understand the possible effects of anesthetics at molecular levels. Knowing the effects of anesthetic agents on genetic material could be a valuable basic support to better understand the possible mechanisms of these agents. Thus, the purpose of this review is to provide an overview on the genotoxic potential, evaluated in animal models, of many anesthetics that have already been used and those currently used in anesthesia.

Sevoflurane and isoflurane genotoxicity in kidney cells of mice

“…A limited number of studies has investigated DNA damage in lymphocytes, brain, liver, and kidney cells of animals repeatedly exposed to sevoflurane (31). Although sevoflurane was able to induce genetic lesions in vivo, the DNA damage seems to be repaired within the upcoming days of the last exposure.…”

“…Although sevoflurane was able to induce genetic lesions in vivo, the DNA damage seems to be repaired within the upcoming days of the last exposure. These studies have used different animal models and species, different times of exposure and routes, different doses and different time points besides a variety of other possible confounding factors such as temperature, hemodynamic data, and air flow rate, making the comparison among the reports very difficult (31). Furthermore, our previous study evaluated genetic damage in leukocytes, in the liver, kidney, and brain cells in vivo (10,32) but none of the observed tissues revealed signs of repair until 24 h after the exposure to sevoflurane (32).…”

“…Species variations in drug metabolism and toxicity, different exposure times and dosages, the flow rate (in air or in oxygen), and hypoxia during research procedure are some of the important factors that make it very complicated to extrapolate accurate conclusions from one species to another from in vivo investigations to humans (31). Regarding in vivo studies, results depend on different experimental designs, the type and duration of surgery, the characteristics of patients (age, physical status, associated co-morbidities or diseases, and other drugs used during the aesthetical procedure) (38).…”

High concentrations of waste anesthetic gases induce genetic damage and inflammation in physicians exposed for three years: A cross‐sectional study

“…Although mechanisms by which halogenated anesthetics induce genotoxicity remain to be elucidated, plausible explanations include the production of ROS due to oxidation metabolism and/or direct genome damage. 18,37,38 Furthermore, nitrous oxide-induced impairment of methionine synthase affects nucleic acid and protein production, which in turn reduces genomic stability. 39 The evidence regarding the genotoxic and mutagenic effects of chronic (long-term) occupational exposure to waste anesthetic gases that has been reported in the literature is controversial.…”

Does Neuraxial Anesthesia as General Anesthesia Damage DNA? A Pilot Study in Patients Undergoing Orthopedic Traumatological Surgery

“…Typically, several different drugs and techniques are combined during anesthesia [1]. Various methods have described DNA structure damage due to anesthesia [2][3][4][5], and thus there is evidence that anesthetics change human genetic information. Recent studies have been published concerning the genotoxicity of inhalational anesthesia in patients who have undergone surgery and in personnel who are occupationally exposed to anesthetics.…”