Journal of neurosurgical anesthesiology
-
J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Jul 2010
The effect of sevoflurane on neuronal degeneration and GABAA subunit composition in a developing rat model of organotypic hippocampal slice cultures.
The GABA(A) receptor subunit composition undergoes a switch from a predominantly alpha2 to a predominantly alpha1 around postnatal day (PND) 7 in a rat pup. This developmental switch in the GABA(A) receptor subunit composition changes the kinetics and pharmacologic properties of the GABA(A) receptor. Using a developmental organotypic hippocampal slice model, we hypothesized that the developmental changes in the GABA(A) receptor subunit composition may promote neurodegeneration after exposure to sevoflurane. ⋯ This in vitro investigation supports an age-dependent and GABA(A) receptor subunit composition relationship between 2.0% sevoflurane exposure and cell death.