Changes in the gene expression levels of microRNAs in the rat hippocampus by sevoflurane and propofol anesthesia

• Published in: Molecular medicine reports Vol. 9; no. 5; pp. 1715 - 1722
• Main Authors: GOTO, GENTARO, HORI, YOKO, ISHIKAWA, MASASHI, TANAKA, SHUNSUKE, SAKAMOTO, ATSUHIRO
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece D.A. Spandidos 01.05.2014; Spandidos Publications; Spandidos Publications UK Ltd
• Subjects: Amnesia; Anesthesia; Anesthetics; Anesthetics - pharmacology; Animals; Body temperature; Cluster Analysis; Comparative analysis; Drug metabolism; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Genetic aspects; Genomes; Genomics; Health aspects; Hippocampus; Hippocampus - drug effects; Hippocampus - metabolism; Intravenous administration; Male; Memory; Metabolism; Metabolites; Methyl Ethers - pharmacology; MicroRNA; MicroRNAs; MicroRNAs - genetics; miRNA; Nervous system; Non-coding RNA; Patient outcomes; Polymerase chain reaction; Properties; Propofol; Propofol - pharmacology; Protein expression; Proteomics; rat; Rats; Reverse transcription; Rodents; Sevoflurane; Signal transduction; Standard deviation; Studies; Japan
• ISSN: 1791-2997; 1791-3004
• DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2014.2038

General anesthesia is commonly used in the surgical arena, but little is known regarding its influence at the genomic and molecular levels. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) belong to a new class of non-coding RNA molecules which influence cell biology. In the present study, it was hypothesized that miRNAs alter gene expression levels under general anesthesia. The aim was to compare the miRNA expression profiles in the rat hippocampus in response to anesthesia with representative volatile (sevoflurane) and intravenous (propofol) anesthetics. Wistar Rats were randomly assigned to either a 2.4% sevoflurane, 600 μg/kg/min propofol or control (without anesthetics) group. Total RNA from hippocampal samples which contained miRNA was subjected to quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Taqman Low-Density Arrays (TLDA). A total of 373 miRNAs are associated with rats and the TLDA analysis revealed that 279 expressed miRNAs (74.8%) were expressed in all three groups. Significant differences in the levels of 33 of the 279 expressed miRNAs (11.8%) were observed among the three groups in response to the anesthetic agents, and when compared with the control group, significant differences were found in 26 of the 279 expressed miRNAs (9.3%). Following sevoflurane anesthesia, the levels of four miRNAs were significantly increased and those of 12 were significantly reduced. By contrast, following propofol anesthesia, the levels of 11 miRNAs were significantly reduced but no miRNAs exhibited significantly elevated levels. Fourteen miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed between the two anesthesia groups. In conclusion, sevoflurane and propofol exerted different effects on miRNA expression in the rat hippocampus.