DNA damage effects of inhalation anesthetics in human bronchoalveolar cells

The main objective was to evaluate and compare the local genotoxicity of sevoflurane and desflurane in bronchoalveolar cells, while the secondary outcome was to detect systemic oxidative DNA damage. To our knowledge, our study is the first one to evaluate the local effects of inhalation anesthetics in human bronchoalveolar cells in patients.

American Society of Anesthesiologists group I-II patients scheduled for lumbar discectomy surgery were enrolled in this randomized prospective study. Patients were randomized to sevoflurane or desflurane for anesthesia maintenance. Bronchoalveolar lavage samples and peripheral blood samples were taken at 2-time points: the first point (baseline, T1); and the second point (postexposure, T2). Final number of 48 samples were the sevoflurane (n = 22) and desflurane (n = 26) groups. Comet assay was applied to examine genotoxic properties. Oxidative DNA damage in plasma was measured with 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG).

T2 values were higher than baseline values in both the desflurane group (tail-length: 66 ± 24, %DNA in tail: 72 ± 60, tail moment: 47.52 ± 14.4; P = .001, P = .005, P = .001, respectively) and the sevoflurane group (tail-length: 58 ± 33, %DNA in tail: 88 ± 80, tail moment: 51.04 ± 26.4; P = .001, P = .012, P = .001, respectively). T2 plasma 8-OHdG levels were also higher than baseline levels in the desflurane group (3.91 ± 0.19 ng/ml vs 1.32 ± 0.20 ng/ml, P = .001) and sevoflurane group (3.98 ± 0.18 ng/ml vs 1.31 ± 0.11 ng/ml, P = .001). There were no differences between the 2 groups in comet parameters and 8-OHdG levels.

Our results indicate that both inhalation agents cause DNA damage in the bronchoalveolar cells. Also, we detected increases in plasma 8-OHdG concentrations. Local genotoxicity and systemic oxidized DNA damage were similar in both groups.