title: Effects of fetal exposure to isoflurane on postnatal memory and learning in rats.
abstract: In a maternal fetal rat model, we investigated the behavioral and neurotoxic effects of fetal exposure to isoflurane. Pregnant rats at gestational day 21 were anesthetized with 1.3% isoflurane for 6h. Apoptosis was quantified in the hippocampus and cortex at 2 and 18h after exposure in the fetal brain and in the postnatal day 5 (P5) pup brain. Spatial memory and learning of the fetal exposed pups were examined with the Morris Water Maze at juvenile and adult ages. Rat fetal exposure to isoflurane at pregnancy day 21 through maternal anesthesia significantly decreased spontaneous apoptosis in the hippocampal CA1 region and in the retrosplenial cortex at 2h after exposure, but not at 18h or at P5. Fetal exposure to isoflurane did not impair subsequent juvenile or adult postnatal spatial reference memory and learning and, in fact, improved spatial memory in the juvenile rat. These results show that isoflurane exposure during late pregnancy is not neurotoxic to the fetal brain and does not impair memory and learning in the juvenile or adult rat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, 305 John Morgan Building, 3620 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Yujuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ge
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Shouping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qingcheng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Qiujun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Huafeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D013028:Space Perception / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D007530:Isoflurane; D053148:Caspase 3