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Published on: July 25, 2025
Changes in microRNA expression in rat lungs caused by sevoflurane anesthesia: a TaqMan® low-density array study
Shunsuke Tanaka1, Masashi Ishikawa, Masae Arai
1Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8603, Japan. tanaka-shunsuke@nms.ac.jp
Abstract:
Reportedly, a large number of microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in inflammatory lung diseases such as asthma, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Sevoflurane is routinely used to various patients, and its safety has been confirmed by clinical outcomes; however, its effects to lungs at the miRNA level have not been elucidated. In our previous genomic studies, we showed that sevoflurane anesthesia affected the expression of many genes and mRNAs in rat lungs. In this study, we comprehensively investigated changes in miRNA expression caused by sevoflurane anesthesia (2.0% and 4.0%). Sevoflurane anesthesia resulted in apparent changes in miRNA expression in rat lungs, and the pattern of 2.0% sevoflurane-induced changes in miRNA expression was similar to that of 4.0% sevoflurane. Some of the differentially expressed miRNAs are known to be involved in asthma, IPF, and PAH. Especially, miR-146a, the most up-regulated miRNA, is known to attenuate the toxic effects associated with LPS stimulation. We showed, for the first time, dynamic changes in miRNA expression caused by sevoflurane anesthesia, and moreover, our results were important to understand the influence of sevoflurane anesthesia on any patients suffered from various lung diseases.
Insights
Sevoflurane anesthesia alters microRNA (miRNA) expression in rat lungs, impacting pathways relevant to inflammatory lung diseases. These findings offer insights into sevoflurane
Area of Science:
- * Molecular Biology
- * Anesthesiology
- * Pulmonary Medicine
Background:
- * MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial in inflammatory lung diseases like asthma, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
- * While sevoflurane is clinically safe, its impact on lung miRNA expression remains largely unknown.
- * Previous studies indicated sevoflurane anesthesia affects gene and mRNA expression in rat lungs.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To comprehensively investigate the changes in miRNA expression in rat lungs induced by sevoflurane anesthesia.
- * To compare the effects of different sevoflurane concentrations (2.0% and 4.0%) on miRNA expression patterns.
- * To identify specific miRNAs affected by sevoflurane that are implicated in lung diseases.
Main Methods:
- * Rats were exposed to sevoflurane anesthesia at concentrations of 2.0% and 4.0%.
- * miRNA expression profiling was performed on lung tissue samples.
- * Differential expression analysis was conducted to identify significant changes in miRNA levels.
Main Results:
- * Sevoflurane anesthesia caused significant alterations in miRNA expression in rat lungs.
- * The expression patterns induced by 2.0% and 4.0% sevoflurane were notably similar.
- * Several differentially expressed miRNAs are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of asthma, IPF, and PAH.
- * miR-146a was the most significantly upregulated miRNA and is recognized for its role in mitigating LPS-induced toxicity.
Conclusions:
- * Sevoflurane anesthesia dynamically alters miRNA expression in rat lungs.
- * The findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying sevoflurane's effects on lung tissue.
- * This research is crucial for understanding the implications of sevoflurane anesthesia in patients with pre-existing lung conditions.