Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2026
Enhancing the Development and Growth of Infant Cerebral Palsy Rats Using Selective Spinal Manipulations
Published on: February 2, 2024
Lifetime behavioural changes after exposure to anaesthetics in infant rats
Liciane Fernandes Medeiros1, Joanna Ripoll Rozisky, Andressa de Souza
1Post Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Physiology, Institute of Basic Health Sciences (ICBS), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 90050-170 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Insights
General anesthesia in infant rats, with or without surgery, impacts behavior. Isoflurane increased locomotor activity, while fentanyl/ketamine affected anxiety-like behaviors and locomotor activity in developing rats.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Anesthesiology
Background:
- Early-life exposure to general anesthetics is a growing concern.
- Understanding the long-term behavioral effects of neonatal anesthesia is crucial for pediatric care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of acute general anesthesia (inhalation or intravenous) with or without surgery on postnatal day 14 (P14) on rat behavior.
- To assess short-, medium-, and long-term behavioral changes in the open field and elevated plus-maze tests.
Main Methods:
- Wistar rats were exposed to isoflurane or fentanyl/S(+)-ketamine anesthesia with or without surgery at P14.
- Behavioral assessments included open field (locomotor activity, exploration) and elevated plus-maze (anxiety-like behavior) tests at various time points (P14, P30, P60).
Main Results:
- Isoflurane exposure increased locomotor activity and reduced latency to leave the first quadrant in the open field test.
- Fentanyl/ketamine anesthesia increased locomotor activity and reduced fecal boli in the open field test.
- Fentanyl/ketamine exposure also increased anxiety-like behaviors, indicated by increased exploration of open arms in the elevated plus-maze.
Conclusions:
- Acute neonatal anesthesia, with or without surgery, induces significant long-term behavioral alterations in rats.
- Isoflurane primarily affects locomotor activity, while fentanyl/ketamine impacts both locomotor activity and anxiety levels.
- These behavioral changes may be linked to neurochemical alterations involving dopamine, serotonin, CRH, and glutamate/NMDA receptors.
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to assess the effect of acute use of general anaesthetic with or without a surgical procedure, at post-natal day 14 (P14), on behavioural responses in the short-, medium- and long-term, evaluated in open field (OF) and elevated plus-maze (EPM) tests. Fourteen-day-old male Wistar rats were divided into two experimental designs (ED): inhalation and intravenous anaesthetic, and these groups were subdivided into: 1st ED - control (C), isoflurane (ISO), isoflurane/surgery (ISO-SUR); 2nd ED - control (C), fentanyl/S(+)-ketamine (FK) and fentanyl+ketamine-s/surgery (FK-SUR). In the OF the following were found: (a) in the 1st ED: an increase in the locomotor activity in the ISO group at P14, and ISO and ISO-SUR groups at P30; the ISO-SUR group showed a reduced latency to leave the first quadrant at P30 and P60; (b) in the 2nd ED: FK and FK-SUR groups presented increased locomotor activity at P30, and the FK group showed a reduction in the number of faecal boluses. In the EPM the following were found: FK and FK-SUR groups presented an increase in the number of non-protected head-dipping (NPHD) movements and in the number of entries and time spent in open arms at P30; the FK group showed an increased number of protected head-dipping movements, NPHD and entries and time spent in the open arms at P60. The behavioural changes observed may be related to locomotor activity (1st ED) and anxiety level (2nd ED) and they may result from changes in neurotransmitters/hormones (DA, 5HT, CRH) and glutamate/NMDA receptors, respectively.
