Sevoflurane diminishes neurogenesis and promotes ferroptosis in embryonic prefrontal cortex via inhibiting nuclear factor-erythroid 2–related factor 2 expression

Abstract

Objective 

Prenatal sevoflurane exposure may pose neurotoxicity to embryonic brain development and lead to cognitive dysfunction in offspring, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. We aimed to investigate whether sevoflurane could cause neurogenesis abnormality and ferroptosis in embryonic prefrontal cortex (PFC) and to identify the role of nuclear factor-erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2) in the sevoflurane-related neurotoxicity.

Methods 

We used the rodents and primary neural stem cells to examine whether sevoflurane impacted proliferation, differentiation, ferroptosis and apoptosis in the neural stem cells of embryonic PFC. In addition, the expression of Nrf2 and the intensity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were also assessed to explore the underlying molecular mechanism.

Results 

Our results showed that sevoflurane exposure in third trimester could lead to neurogenesis inhibition and ferroptosis in-vivo embryonic PFC, with little influence on apoptosis. Moreover, a significant decrease in the expression of Nrf2 as well as an increase in ROS accumulation were also found in neural stem cells after sevoflurane anesthesia.

Conclusion 

We conclude that Nrf2-related neurogenesis inhibition and ferroptosis are a central mechanism contributing to sevoflurane-induced neurotoxicity in embryonic brain. The results of the present study are the first to demonstrate that ferroptosis and the expression of Nrf2 are involved in sevoflurane-related neurotoxicity in embryonic brain, which provides new vision for consideration in anesthesia-associated neurological abnormalities.