title: Dexmedetomidine protects spatial learning and memory ability in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The authors tested the hypothesis that combined use of dexmedetomidine on fetal rats during isoflurane exposure in maternal anesthesia can attenuate the abnormal spatial learning and memory abilities in adults via the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty timed-pregnancy rats were randomly assigned to five groups (Dex+Iso, Sal+Iso, Sal+Oxy, Dex+Oxy, and a control group ) on embryonic day 14 to receive five different dispositions, i.e. combined injection of dexmedetomidine (Dex) or saline (Sal) and inhalation of isoflurane (Iso), oxygen (Oxy), or normal air for 4 h (n = 10).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The latency time(s) from day 1 to day 4 all showed a decreasing tendency in all four groups. The synaptic count of the Sal+Iso group was significantly lower than the Control group (p < 0.05), suggesting that severe neurodegeneration occurred under the influence of fetal isoflurane exposure. In contrast, the synapse count of the Dex+Iso group was near to that of Control group. The rats are protected in neurodevelopmental, normal development.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combine use of dexmedetomidine during exposure to isoflurane in utero during middle-pregnancy can attenuate the impairment of spatial learning and memory abilities for the rats in adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, ZhuJiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, China Department of Anesthesia, The Third Afﬁliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, China.
authors.forename: Zhiyuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, ZhuJiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, China xushiyuan355@163.com.
authors.forename: Shiyuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, The Third Afﬁliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, The Third Afﬁliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, China.
authors.forename: Junxing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020927:Dexmedetomidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007837:Latency Period, Psychological; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D065853:Spatial Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D020927:Dexmedetomidine
keywords: Dexmedetomidine; memory; pregnancy; rat; spatial learning