Neurotoxicity of Inhalation Anesthetics in the Neonatal Rat Brain: Effects on Behavior and Neurodegeneration in the Piriform Cortex

Figure 2

Neuronal integrity in the piriform cortex following anesthetic exposure. Data represent the mean ± SEM of total cell numbers in layer II of the piriform cortex in animals sacrificed 48 h and 96 h after anesthetic exposure on PD15. Values were calculated using unbiased stereological techniques, and those differing significantly from vehicle-exposed controls are indicated by an asterisk (). Representative images of H&E stained sections of the piriform cortex (layer II) are also shown (scale bar = 100 µM). Pictures show the characteristically dense layer II, which is occupied primarily by the somata of pyramidal cells that receive direct input from the olfactory bulb upon their apical dendrites in layer I. These images are from animals sacrificed 96 h following anesthetic exposure. Iso: isoflurane; Sevo: sevoflurane; Ureth: urethane.