Effects of the application of general anesthesia with propofol during the early stage of pregnancy on brain development and function of SD rat offspring and the intervention of DHA

Abstract

ABSTRACTObjective: To investigate the effects of propofol used in early pregnancy on brain development and function of offspring, and further to explore the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intervention.Methods: Forty pregnant rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group (C), propofol group (P), DHA intervention group (D), and propofol + DHA group (P + D). The DHA treatment was before propofol was administered. Morris water maze test was performed 30 days after delivery. The levels of amyloid beta (Aβ), IL-1β and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in hippocampus were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tyrosine kinase-B (Trk-B), protein kinase B (Akt), p-Akt and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in hippocampus were detected by western blot.Results: The learning and memory abilities of the rats in P group were reduced. The levels of Aβ, IL-1β and ROS were increased, while the levels of BDNF, Trk-B and CREB, and p-Akt/Akt ratio were reduced. In addition, compared with P group, DHA in P + D group reversed or alleviated adverse changes caused by propofol.Conclusions: Application of general anesthesia with propofol during the early stage of pregnancy can negatively affect the brain development of the offspring to reduce the learning and memory ability, while DHA can reverse it.