Effects of repeated sevoflurane anesthesia on long-term cognitive function in lactating rats

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the effects of repeated sevoflurane anesthesia on long-term cognitive function in lactating rats.Methods Twenty-four healthy Spragne-Dawley rats,aged 7 days,weighing 14-17 g,were randomly divided into 3 groups (n =8 each):control group (group C),2.6 ％ sevoflurane group (group S1),and 1.5％ sevoflurane group (group S2).At 7,14 and 21 days after birth,2.6％ and 1.5％ sevoflurane and carrier gas were inhaled for 1 h in groups S1,S2 and C,respectively.Visible plafform trial was carried out on 28 and 29 days after birth,and the swimming speed of the rats was recorded.Place navigation test was performed on 32-36 days after birth,and the escape latency was recorded.Spatial probe test was carried out on 36 days after birth,and the time spent in the platform quadrant,swimming distance and the number of times crossing the platform quadrant was recorded.Results Compared with group C,the escape latency was significantly prolonged in groups S1 and S2 (P ＜ 0.05).The escape latency was significantly longer in group S1 than in group S2 (P ＜0.05).There were no significant differences between the three groups in the swimming speed,time spent in the platform zone,swimming distance and the number of times crossing the platform quadrant (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion Repeated inhalation of sevoflurane during lactation can impair the long-term declarative memory,which is concentration-related,while it has no effects on the associative learning in rats. Key words: Infant ; Cognition disorders ; Child ; Sevoflurane