Drug Design, Development and Therapy (Jun 2018)
Sevoflurane anaesthesia during pregnancy in mice induces hearing impairment in the offspring
Abstract
Xia Shen,1,* Yanan Xiao,1,* Wen Li,2 Kaizheng Chen,1 Huiqian Yu3 1Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, People’s Republic of China; 2Research Center, Shanghai Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Shanghai Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Introduction: Exposure to gamma-aminobutyric acid-mimetics and N-methyl-d-aspartate-receptor antagonists during pregnancy may lead to hearing loss and long-term behavioral abnormalities in the offspring. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between prenatal exposure to sevoflurane (SEV) anesthesia and hearing impairment in mice. Materials and methods: On gestational day 15, pregnant Kunming mice were exposed for 2 hours to 2.5% SEV plus 100% oxygen (anesthesia group) or 100% oxygen alone (control group). Results: During auditory brainstem response testing on P30, offspring of the anesthesia group mice exhibited higher hearing thresholds at 8, 16, 24, and 32 kHz; longer peak latency of wave II at all four frequencies; and longer interpeak latencies from waves II to V at 16, 24, and 32 kHz, compared to the control offspring. Caspase-3, iNOS, and COX-2 activation occurred in the fetal cochlea of the anesthesia group. Mitochondrial swelling was observed in the anesthesia group offspring at P1 and P15. Conclusion: Our results suggest that SEV exposure during pregnancy may cause detrimental effects on the developing auditory system. Keywords: sevoflurane, auditory brainstem response, apoptosis, cochlea, pregnant mice
