Isoflurane Damages the Developing Brain of Mice and Induces Subsequent Learning and Memory Deficits through FASL-FAS Signaling

Figure 3

(a) Western blot showed the caspase-3 expression of the four groups. FAS-knockout mice had comparable baseline caspase-3 levels with wild type control mice. Treating FAS-knockout mice with isoflurane did not increase caspase-3 levels (). Wild isoflurane mice showed the highest expression of caspase-3. (b) Quantification of the western blot for caspase-3 levels showed that isoflurane anesthesia caused an increase in caspase-3 level in hippocampus of wild mice compared with FAS-knockout mice plus oxygen group (). FAS knockout reduced the level of caspase-3 caused by isoflurane (). At last, there was an interaction between FAS knockout and isoflurane anesthesia in that FAS knockout mitigated the isoflurane-induced increase in caspase-3 levels in the hippocampus of neonatal mice (). No differences in caspase-3 expression were found among wild type control mice, FAS-knockout control mice, and FAS-knockout isoflurane mice. (c) FASL-knockout mice had comparable baseline caspase-3 levels with wild type control mice. Treating FASL-knockout mice with isoflurane did not increase caspase-3 levels (). Wild isoflurane mice showed the highest expression of caspase-3. (d) Quantification of the western blot for caspase-3 levels showed that isoflurane anesthesia caused an increase in caspase-3 level in hippocampus of wild mice compared with FASL-knockout mice plus oxygen group (). FASL knockout reduced the level of caspase-3 caused by isoflurane (). At last, there was an interaction between FASL knockout and isoflurane anesthesia in that FASL knockout mitigated the isoflurane-induced increase in caspase-3 levels in the hippocampus of neonatal mice (). No differences in caspase-3 expression were found among wild type control mice, FASL-knockout control mice, and FASL-knockout isoflurane mice. Error bars represent the standard deviation (SD) of four independent experiments; .

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