Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 10, 2025
Halogenated Agent Delivery in Porcine Model of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome via an Intensive Care Unit Type Device
Published on: September 24, 2020
Effects of Sevoflurane Inhalation Anesthesia on the Intestinal Microbiome in Mice
Ci Han1, Zhaodi Zhang2, Nana Guo3
1Department of Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
Abstract:
In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to intestinal microbiome. Almost all operations will go through the anesthesia process, but it is not clear whether the intervention of anesthesia alone will affect the change in the intestinal microbiome. The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of sevoflurane inhalation anesthesia on the intestinal microbiome. The animal in the experimental group was used to provide sevoflurane inhalation anesthesia for 4 hours. The control group was not intervened. The feces of the experimental group and the control group were collected on the 1st, 3rd, 7th and 14th days after anesthesia. Sevoflurane inhalation anesthesia will cause changes in the intestinal microbiome of mice. It appears on the 1st day after anesthesia and is most obvious on the 7th day. The specific manifestation is that the abundance of microbiome and the diversity of the microbiome is reduced. At the same time, Untargeted metabonomics showed that compared with the control group, the experimental group had more increased metabolites related to the different microbiome, among which 5-methylthioadenosine was related to the central nervous system. Subsequently, the intestinal microbiome diversity of mice showed a trend of recovery on the 14th day. At the genus level, the fecal samples obtained on the 14th day after anesthesia exhibited significantly increased abundances of Bacteroides, Alloprevotella, and Akkermansia and significantly decreased abundances of Lactobacillus compared with the samples obtained on the 1st day after anesthesia. However, the abundance of differential bacteria did not recover with the changing trend of diversity. Therefore, we believe that sevoflurane inhalation anesthesia is associated with changes in the internal microbiome and metabolites, and this change may be completed through the brain-gut axis, while sevoflurane inhalation anesthesia may change the intestinal microbiome for as long as 14 days or longer.
Insights
Sevoflurane anesthesia alters the gut microbiome in mice, reducing its diversity and abundance. These changes persist for at least 14 days, potentially impacting the brain-gut axis.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Anesthesiology
- Metabolomics
Background:
- The intestinal microbiome plays a crucial role in host health.
- Anesthesia is a common procedure during medical operations.
- The impact of anesthesia alone on the gut microbiome is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of sevoflurane inhalation anesthesia on the murine intestinal microbiome.
- To analyze changes in microbiome diversity, abundance, and metabolites post-anesthesia.
Main Methods:
- Mice were exposed to 4 hours of sevoflurane inhalation anesthesia (experimental group) or no intervention (control group).
- Fecal samples were collected on days 1, 3, 7, and 14 post-anesthesia.
- Microbiome analysis and untargeted metabolomics were performed.
Main Results:
- Sevoflurane anesthesia significantly reduced gut microbiome abundance and diversity, most notably on day 7.
- Metabolomic analysis revealed increased metabolites, including 5-methylthioadenosine, linked to the brain-gut axis.
- While diversity showed signs of recovery by day 14, specific bacterial abundances (e.g., decreased Lactobacillus, increased Bacteroides) did not fully normalize.
Conclusions:
- Sevoflurane inhalation anesthesia induces significant and lasting changes in the intestinal microbiome and host metabolites.
- These alterations may involve the brain-gut axis and persist for at least 14 days.
- Further research is needed to understand the long-term implications of anesthesia-induced microbiome dysbiosis.
