Erythropoietin attenuates isoflurane-induced neurodegeneration and learning deficits in the developing mouse brain.

Objectives: To examine whether recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO) attenuates neurodegeneration and the learning disability induced by isoflurane with the postnatal day 7 (P7) mice.

Background: Some of general anesthetic agents induce neurodegeneration in developing brain. Several drugs, but not rEPO, were reported as candidates for the prevention of or treatment for neurodegeneration.

Method And Materials: We divided P7 mice into three groups at random. One group (IE group) was exposed to 6-h isoflurane (1.0%) after 50,000 IU·kg(-1) rEPO administered subcutaneously. The second group (I) was exposed to isoflurane in the same manner as IE group except saline instead of rEPO. The third group (E) was exposed to air after rEPO administered. The mice were assigned to the radial arm maze on four consecutive days from P56 (day 1) to P59 (day 4). We divided the number of errors each day by that of day 1 to establish each-day performance ratio. After the test, neurodegenerative change in the hilus of dentate gyrus was assessed using Nissl staining.

Results: In radial maze test, the performance ratios of day 3 (mean ± sd) were 0.3 ± 0.2 (P < 0.05, vs I group), 0.8 ± 0.5, and 0.6 ± 0.2 in IE, I, and E groups, respectively, while those of day 4 were 0.3 ± 0.1 (P < 0.05), 0.8 ± 0.5, and 0.3 ± 0.2 (P < 0.05), respectively. The histopathological study revealed that in IE group the degenerative neuronal change was attenuated compared with I group.

Conclusions: These results suggested that rEPO attenuated isoflurane-induced neurodegeneration.