title: Repeated but not single isoflurane exposure improved the spatial memory of young adult mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exposure to general anesthesia damages the spatial memory of aged rodents, but its role in the young adult has not been well investigated. This study was conducted to determine the effects of single and repeated isoflurane exposure on spatial memory in young adult mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The experimental design comprised three series of experiments. In the first series, animals (2 months old) were randomly exposed to 1.4% isoflurane for 2 or 6 h or vehicle gas for 6 h (n=15 in each group). The Morris water maze (MWM) test was performed at 48 h after anesthetic exposure to evaluate spatial memory. In the second part, animals were randomly exposed to 1.4% isoflurane (isoflurane group, n=15) or vehicle gas only (control group, n=15) for 2 h/day on 5 consecutive days. Forty-eight hours later, the MWM was performed. In the third part, animals were randomized into an isoflurane group (n=15) and a control group (n=15) as in the second part of the experiment. Two weeks later, the MWM was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean escape latency time and the mean pathway length measured at 48 h after repeated isoflurane exposure decreased significantly compared with the control. However, there was no difference between the two groups when tested at 2 weeks after repeated isoflurane exposure. A single exposure to isoflurane lasting 2 or 6 h had no effect on the performance of mice in the MWM as compared with the control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Repeated but not single isoflurane exposure temporarily improved the spatial memory of young adult mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018401:Sample Size; D013028:Space Perception / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D007530:Isoflurane