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

Table 1

Behavioral parameters of neonatal rats exposed to the anesthetic agents sevoflurane and isoflurane at 1 MAC for 4 h on postnatal day 15 and sacrificed 48 or 96 h later.

Behavioral parameter	Time (h)	Control	Sevoflurane	Isoflurane	Urethane	value
Locomotion/activity score	48	9.9 ± 1.66 ()	11.7 ± 2.70 ()	9.38 ± 3.21 ()	5.50 ± 1.32 ()	0.03
Locomotion/activity score	96	11.2 ± 2.41 ()	15.8 ± 1.56^† ()	15.4 ± 2.03^† (8)	6.78 ± 2.17 ()	0.02 0.045^†
Rearing score	48	2.60 ± 0.68	6.78 ± 1.04^†	3.38 ± 0.78	1.25 ± 0.25	0.03 0.01^†
Rearing score	96	3.67 ± 0.68	7.56 ± 1.21^†	4.25 ± 0.64	4.11 ± 1.31	0.01^†
Suckling score	48	3.20 ± 0.53	1.67 ± 0.33	2.63 ± 0.37	3.00 ± 1.08	0.04
Suckling score	96	2.42 ± 0.36	0.89 ± 0.26	1.13 ± 0.23	4.56 ± 0.71	0.04
Grooming score	48	2.80 ± 0.53	2.22 ± 0.43	2.5 ± 0.57	1.50 ± 1.19	0.04

Animals were assessed behaviorally immediately prior to sacrifice as described in Methods. The values for parameters that differed significantly are shown (significantly decreased from control; ^†significantly increased above control). Numbers of animals per group are shown for locomotion data and apply to all behavioral parameters.