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Updated: Apr 24, 2026
Isolation and Culture of Mouse Cortical Astrocytes
Published on: January 19, 2013
Isoflurane impairs the capacity of astrocytes to support neuronal development in a mouse dissociated coculture model
Yun Kyoung Ryu1, Sobiah Khan, Sarah C Smith
1*Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutes, Baltimore, MD †Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, NY.
Insights
Pediatric exposure to the anesthetic isoflurane impairs astrocyte function, hindering neuron growth. This suggests a new pathway for how anesthetics may affect developing brains.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Anesthesiology
Background:
- Pediatric exposure to anesthetic agents raises concerns about long-term learning deficits due to impaired brain development.
- Research has primarily focused on direct anesthetic effects on neurons, with less attention to astrocytes.
- Astrocytes, a type of glial cell, are crucial for supporting neuronal development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential toxic effects of anesthetics on astrocytes.
- To determine if anesthetics impact astrocyte function in supporting neuronal growth.
Main Methods:
- Astrocytes were exposed to the anesthetic isoflurane.
- Exposed astrocytes were then co-cultured with unexposed neurons.
- Neuronal axon length was measured to quantify growth.
Main Results:
- Neurons co-cultured with isoflurane-exposed astrocytes showed a 30% reduction in axon outgrowth.
- This effect is linked to decreased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the co-culture medium.
Conclusions:
- Isoflurane disrupts the capacity of astrocytes to support neuronal development.
- This highlights a potential novel mechanism by which general anesthetics could interfere with brain development.
Background:
There is growing concern that pediatric exposure to anesthetic agents may cause long-lasting deficits in learning by impairing brain development. Most studies to date on this topic have focused on the direct effects of anesthetics on developing neurons. Relatively little attention has been paid to possible effects of anesthetics on astrocytes, a glial cell type that plays an important supporting role in neuronal development.
Methods:
Astrocytes were exposed to isoflurane and then cocultured with unexposed neurons to test for astrocyte-specific toxic effects on neuronal growth. Axon length was measured in the cocultured neurons to assess neuronal growth.
Results:
We found that neurons cocultured with astrocytes exposed to isoflurane exhibited a 30% reduction in axon outgrowth. Further experimentation showed that this effect is likely due to reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the coculture media.
Conclusions:
Isoflurane interferes with the ability of cultured astrocytes to support neuronal growth. This finding represents a potentially novel mechanism through which general anesthetics may interfere with brain development.
