Maternal anesthesia via isoflurane or ether differentially affects pre‐and postnatal behavior in rat offspring

Abstract

Our understanding of prenatal behavior has been significantly advanced by techniques for direct observation and manipulation of unanesthetized, behaving rodent fetuses with intact umbilical connections to the mother. These techniques involve brief administration of an inhalant anesthesic, enabling spinal transection of the rat or mouse dam, after which procedures can continue with unanesthetized dams and fetuses. Because anesthetics administered to the mother can cross the placental barrier, it is possible that fetuses are anesthetized to varying degrees. We compared in perinatal rats the effects of prenatal maternal exposure to two inhalant anesthetics: ether and isoflurane. Fewer spontaneous fetal movements and first postpartum nipple attachments were observed following maternal exposure to ether as compared to isoflurane. Neonatal breathing frequencies and oxygenation did not account for group differences in nipple attachment. Our results provide evidence that the particular inhalant anesthetic employed in prenatal manipulation studies determines frequencies of perinatal behavior.

MicroRNA-424-5p Alleviates Isoflurane Anesthesia-Induced Neurotoxicity in Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Neurons by Targeting FASN

“…Notably, the negative effects of prolonged or excessive exposure to anesthetics on the central nervous system, especially on memory and learning in children and infants, have been broadly represented [4,5]. Isoflurane (ISO), as one of the most used inhalation anesthetics, simply crosses the placental barrier and decreases the regeneration of neuronal stem cells and inhibits the proliferation, sustenance, and development of human neural progenitor cells at clinically relevant concentrations [6][7][8]. In recent years, ISO-induced neuronal damage in the developing brain has received more and more attentions [9].…”

Sevoflurane represses the self‐renewal ability by regulating miR‐7a,7b/Klf4 signalling pathway in mouse embryonic stem cells

“…Especially, exposure to sevoflurane inhibits neurogenesis in the brain of foetal mice and impairs subsequent learning and memory ability . Isoflurane, another inhalational anaesthetic, decreases the self‐renewal of neuron stem cells and reduces the survival, proliferation and differentiation of human neural progenitor cells . These studies suggested that inhalational anaesthetic could lead significant effect to development and cause serious problems.…”

Prematurely delivered rats show improved motor coordination during sensory-evoked motor responses compared to age-matched controls

“…Likewise, any residual effects of general anesthesia may have affected pup behavior. However, isoflurane anesthesia has been shown to have no significant effects on breathing frequency or blood pH within 2 hr of cesarean delivery of fetal rats [59], and there is no significant difference between cesarean-delivered and vaginal-delivered pups on measures of pO 2 , brain lactate, blood pH, pCO 2 , and brain ATP levels within 4 hr after delivery [60]. Further, the E21 rat has been shown to be able to induce protective lung antioxidant enzymes and lung surfactant responses that are comparable to the full-term rat [61].…”