title: Anesthesia-induced neurodegeneration in fetal rat brains.
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 S100beta. 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 S100beta 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 S100beta 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Shouping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peretich
authors.forename: Yifan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Ge
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Qingcheng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Huafeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins; D007530:Isoflurane