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Does Neuraxial Anesthesia as General Anesthesia Damage DNA? A Pilot Study in Patients Undergoing Orthopedic

Monika Kucharova1,2, David Astapenko2,3, Veronika Zubanova1,4

  • 1Department of Biophysics and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Heyrovskeho 1203, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|December 28, 2019
PubMed

Insights

General anesthesia may cause significant DNA damage in patients, while neuraxial anesthesia appears safe. This study compared DNA integrity after different anesthesia types in orthopedic surgery patients.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Anesthesiology

Background:

  • Oxidative damage from endogenous and exogenous substances is a frequent cause of cellular damage.
  • Oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA can lead to severe health issues like cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
  • Anesthetics are recognized as potential agents that can compromise DNA integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare DNA damage levels between general anesthesia and neuraxial spinal anesthesia.
  • To assess the impact of anesthesia on DNA integrity in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery.

Main Methods:

  • Pilot study involving two groups of 20 patients each undergoing orthopedic traumatological surgery.
  • Blood samples collected pre- and post-anesthesia.
  • DNA damage evaluated using the comet assay method.

Main Results:

  • General anesthesia was associated with statistically significant DNA damage in patients.
  • Neuraxial anesthesia did not demonstrate a negative influence on DNA integrity.
  • The comet assay revealed differential effects of anesthesia types on DNA damage.

Conclusions:

  • General anesthesia may pose a risk to DNA integrity.
  • Neuraxial anesthesia appears to be a safer alternative regarding DNA damage.
  • Further research is warranted to confirm these findings and explore underlying mechanisms.
Keywords:
DNA damagecomet assaygeneral anesthesianeuraxial anesthesia

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