Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Epigenetically driven impairment of BDNF-ARC signaling contributes to circadian and cognitive disarray in a mouse model of postoperative delirium.

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association·2026
Same author

Propofol-based versus volatile anaesthesia for cancer surgery: a meta-analysis of randomised trials.

British journal of anaesthesia·2026
Same author

Sevoflurane, but not alphaxalone, causes lasting autism spectrum disorder-like pathology in male mice after exposure occurs during synaptogenesis.

Neuropharmacology·2026
Same author

Advanced bilateral EEG monitoring for neuroprotection in high-risk cardiac surgery: a successful case report of emergency ascending aortic replacement.

BMC anesthesiology·2026
Same author

Novel Neuroactive Steroid Analogs and Voltage-Dependent Blockers of Ca<sub>V</sub>3.2 Currents, B372 and YX23, Are Effective Anti-Nociceptives with Diminished Sedative Properties in Intact Female Mice.

Biomolecules·2025
Same author

Anesthesia-induced developmental neurotoxicity in the setting of systemic inflammation: the role of microglia.

Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.)·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Minimizing Hypoxia in Hippocampal Slices from Adult and Aging Mice
08:58

Minimizing Hypoxia in Hippocampal Slices from Adult and Aging Mice

Published on: July 2, 2020

8.6K

Early Exposure to Ketamine Impairs Axonal Pruning in Developing Mouse Hippocampus.

Aleksandar Lj Obradovic1, Navya Atluri2, Lorenza Dalla Massara3

  • 1Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

Molecular Neurobiology
|August 26, 2017
PubMed
Summary

General anesthesia (ketamine) exposure in early life delays crucial axon pruning in mice. This impairment is linked to reduced brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), potentially impacting neurodevelopment.

Keywords:
Brain-derived neurotrophic factorGeneral anesthesiaImmature brainInfrapyramidal bundleMossy fibersSynaptogenesis

More Related Videos

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices
07:44

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices

Published on: October 6, 2017

18.2K
Assessment of Dendritic Arborization in the Dentate Gyrus of the Hippocampal Region in Mice
10:55

Assessment of Dendritic Arborization in the Dentate Gyrus of the Hippocampal Region in Mice

Published on: March 31, 2015

10.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Minimizing Hypoxia in Hippocampal Slices from Adult and Aging Mice
08:58

Minimizing Hypoxia in Hippocampal Slices from Adult and Aging Mice

Published on: July 2, 2020

8.6K
Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices
07:44

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices

Published on: October 6, 2017

18.2K
Assessment of Dendritic Arborization in the Dentate Gyrus of the Hippocampal Region in Mice
10:55

Assessment of Dendritic Arborization in the Dentate Gyrus of the Hippocampal Region in Mice

Published on: March 31, 2015

10.8K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Anesthesiology

Background:

  • Prolonged general anesthesia (GA) exposure during critical brain development can harm immature neurons, leading to neurocognitive deficits.
  • Synaptogenesis, the formation of neural connections, requires precise axon pruning, a process influenced by neurotrophic factors like brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how GA, specifically ketamine, affects axon maintenance and pruning during early brain development.
  • To explore the role of BDNF in mediating the effects of ketamine on axonal pruning.

Main Methods:

  • Post-natal day 7 (PND7) mice were administered ketamine using a regimen known for developmental neurotoxicity.
  • Morphometric analyses of the infrapyramidal bundle (IPB), a model for in vivo axonal pruning, were conducted from PND10 to PND65.
  • BDNF protein expression and maturation were assessed in relation to IPB remodeling.

Main Results:

  • Ketamine exposure resulted in a significant delay in axonal pruning of the IPB compared to control mice.
  • This delay in pruning coincided with ketamine-induced downregulation of BDNF protein expression and maturation.
  • A surge in BDNF expression was observed during intense IPB pruning in control animals.

Conclusions:

  • Ketamine exposure disrupts normal axonal pruning processes during a critical developmental window.
  • Downregulation of BDNF synthesis and maturation by ketamine may contribute to impaired axonal pruning.
  • Altered BDNF homeostasis and defective axon pruning likely play a role in ketamine-induced disruptions of neuronal circuitry formation.