Effects of recurrent sevoflurane anesthesia on cognitive functions with streptozotocin induced Alzheimer disease

We aimed to investigate the effects of recurrent sevoflurane anesthesia on cognitive functions in Alzheimer Disease.

Rats were divided into 4 groups as followed: control (Group C), sevoflurane (Group S), Alzheimer's (Group A) and Alzheimer's + sevoflurane (Group AS)]. Cognitive functions were evaluated with Radial Arm Maze Test (RAMT). Alzheimer model was created by administering 3 mg/kg (10 μl) STZ. Sevoflurane was administered to S and AS groups. Serum samples and hippocampus tissues were analyzed.

In RAM test, the entry-exit data were significantly decreased in A and AS groups. After the 2nd and 3rd administration of anesthesia, the numbers were significantly decreased in Group S. Glial-fibrillary-acidic protein levels were significantly higher in AS compared to the C and S groups. The brain tissue caspase 3 activity was less than 1% in all rats in the Group C, 3 % in 2 rats and 1 % in 1 rat in the Group AS. In A and AS group, serum catalase, myeloperoxidase and ferroxidase activities were found to be higher than in the other groups and myeloperoxidase activity was higher in the AS than in the A Group. Serum native thiol, total thiol and disulfide levels were found to be significantly different in the A and AS groups.

Sevoflurane anesthesia negatively affected the cognitive functions (Tab. 5, Fig. 10, Ref. 51).