The study randomly allocated C57BL/6 wild-type and Hsp72 overexpressing transgenic mice to three groups: control, isoflurane anesthesia alone or tibial fracture during isoflurane anesthesia. The animals were trained 24 hours before anesthesia using a fear conditioning protocol and were assessed in their training environment and in a novel context on post-treatment days one, three and seven.
According to the study’s results, adult male C57BL/6 wild-type mice exhibited reduced memory evidenced by a decreased percentage freezing time on days one and three after anesthesia alone. Hsp72 mice showed no difference by treatment in any day. The study concluded that Hsp72 overexpression is associated with prevention of postoperative hippocampal-dependent and –independent memory deficit induced by anesthesia and/or surgery.
Read the abstract of the study in Anesthesiology.
Read more on anesthesia:
–Vanderbilt Anesthesiologists Use Smaller Probes to Monitor Cardiac Function
–Medical City Dallas Hospital Tests Heart Surgery for Previously Inoperable Patients
–UC Irvine Anesthesiologist to Use $32M NIH Grant to Study Pediatric Pain Anxiety
