BACKGROUND:Isoflurane cannot only induce a wide range of large neuronal apoptosis, but also inhibit hippocampal neurogenesis in neonatal rats, thereby resulting in hippocampus-dependent learning and memory defects.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the isoflurane effect on proliferation and differentiation of the hippocampal neural stem cels.
METHODS:Twenty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into air group and isoflurane group (n=13 per group). Rats in the isoflurane group were subjected to 2.5% isoflurane inhalation for 3 minutes folowed by 1.5% isoflurane inhalation for 4 hours. Rats in the air group only breathed in air. After the intervention, blood glucose and arterial blood gas changes were detected in the two groups. Additionaly, rats in the two groups were given intraperitoneal injection of 5-bromodeoxyuridine before and after intervention. At 24 hours after the last injection of 5-bromodeoxyuridine, brain tissues were taken to make frozen sections for immunofluorescence staining.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:There were no significant difference in pH, PaO2, PaCO2, HCO3, BE and SaO2 levels between the two groups (P> 0.05). Compared with the air group, the number of BrdU+ cels was significantly less in the isoflurane group (P < 0.05), while the number of NeuroD+/BrdU+ cels was significantly higher in the isoflurane group (P < 0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions was 23% in the isoflurane group, which was significantly higher than that in the air group (7.7%;P < 0.05). These findings indicate that isoflurane can inhibit the proliferation of neural stem cels in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, and promote their differentiation into neurons.