Midazolam prevents sevoflurane-induced death in hippocampal neurons

Sevoflurane is a widely used anesthetics in surgery and considered as a safe reagent for clinical use. However, recent studies demonstrated that sevoflurane has a neurotoxic effect in central nervous system. Thus, finding ways to alleviate the side effect of sevoflurane is of importance. In this study, we identified the neuroprotective role of midazolam in hippocampal neurons. Midazolam treatment could alleviate the neuronal death and promote the neuronal maturation in hippocampal neurons in vitro. In vivo studies demonstrated that midazolam injection could improve behavioral deficit in sevoflurane-exposed animals. The anti-apoptotic function of midazolam in sevoflurane-exposed neurons was mediated by ERK signaling. Collectively, we elucidated a new role of midazolam in preventing hippocampal neuronal death from sevoflurane exposure, potentially providing a new strategy to resist the neurotoxicity in the clinical application of sevoflurane.