• Aili Liu, Yize Li, Tao Tan, and Xin Tian.
• School of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China; Laboratory of Neurobiology in Medicine, Research Center of Basic Medical Science, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China. Electronic address: liuzitong.aili@163.com.
• Brain Res. 2014 Apr 4; 1557: 1-11.

AbstractSevoflurane is one of inhalation anesthetics and has been commonly used in obstetric and pediatric anesthesia. The widespread use of sevoflurane in newborns and infants has made its safety a health issue of concern. Voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels (VGCCs) play an important role in neuronal excitability and are essential for normal brain development. However, the role of sevoflurane on regulating Ca(2+) channels during the period of rapid brain development is still not well understood. The aim of this study is to explore the effects of sevoflurane on voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels for hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons during the period of rapid brain development. 1-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group, 2.1% sevoflurane group (exposed to 2.1% sevoflurane for 6h) and 3% sevoflurane group (exposed to 3% sevoflurane for 6h). Whole-cell patch clamp technique was used. I-V curve, steady-state activation and inactivation curves of Ca(2+) channels were studied in rats of the both 3 treated groups at 5 different ages (1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 and 5 weeks old). After anesthesia with sevoflurane at 1-week-old rats, Ca(2+) channels current density was significantly decreased at week 1 and week 2 (p<0.01). And 3% sevoflurane exposure resulted in a rightward shift in steady-state activation curve at week 1 and week 2, as well as the inactivation curve from week 1 to week 3. However, the 2.1% sevoflurane-induced rightward shift was only found in steady-state inactivation curve of Ca(2+) channels at week 1 and week 2. Both the slope factor (k) of Ca(2+) channels activation and inactivation curves increased by 3% sevoflurane at week 1 (p<0.05). Therefore, early exposure to sevoflurane persistently inhibits Ca(2+) channels activity in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons of developing rats but the development of Ca(2+) channels recovers to normal level at juvenile age. Moreover, the inhibition of 3% sevoflurane on VGCCs is greater than that of 2.1% sevoflurane.Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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