The Journal of surgical research
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Postoperative cognitive dysfunction is increasingly recognized as an important clinical syndrome. Inhalation anesthetics are commonly used during surgery, and it has been proposed that inhalation anesthetics impair cognitive function. However, there are few clinical interventions and treatments available to prevent this disorder. GTS-21, a selective agonist of alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, has been indicated to exert neuroprotective effects in the experimental animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, we hypothesized that pretreatment with GTS-21 attenuates isoflurane-induced cognitive decline in aged rats. ⋯ The study demonstrated that pretreatment with α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist GTS-21 attenuates isoflurane-induced learning and memory impairment in aged rats.