Open Access

Isoflurane anesthesia decreases excitability of inhibitory neurons in the basolateral amygdala leading to anxiety‑like behavior in aged mice

  • Authors:
    • Mengyuan Li
    • Ruijiao Zhang
    • Shiyin Wu
    • Liqin Cheng
    • Huan Fu
    • Liangchao Qu
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: August 13, 2024     https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2024.12688
  • Article Number: 399
  • Copyright: © Li et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Anxiety after surgery can be a major factor leading to postoperative cognitive dysfunction, particularly in elderly patients. The role of inhibitory neurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in anxiety‑like behaviors in aged mice following isoflurane anesthesia remains unclear. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the role of inhibitory neurons in isoflurane‑treated mice. A total of 30 C57BL/6 mice (age, 13 months) were allocated into the control and isoflurane anesthesia groups (15 mice/group) and were then subjected to several neurological assessments. Behavioral testing using an elevated plus maze test showed that aged mice in the isoflurane anesthesia group displayed significant anxiety‑like behavior, since they spent more time in the closed arm, exhibited more wall climbing behavior and covered more distance. In addition, whole‑cell patch‑clamp recording revealed that the excitability of the BLA excitatory neurons was notably increased following mice anesthesia with isoflurane, while that of inhibitory neurons was markedly reduced. Following mice treatment with diazepam, the excitability of the BLA inhibitory neurons was notably increased compared with that of the excitatory neurons, which was significantly attenuated. Overall, the results of the current study indicated that anxiety‑like behavior could occur in aged mice after isoflurane anesthesia, which could be caused by a reduced excitability of the inhibitory neurons in the BLA area. This process could enhance excitatory neuronal activity in aged mice, thus ultimately promoting the onset of anxiety‑like behaviors.
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October-2024
Volume 28 Issue 4

Print ISSN: 1792-0981
Online ISSN:1792-1015

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Spandidos Publications style
Li M, Zhang R, Wu S, Cheng L, Fu H and Qu L: Isoflurane anesthesia decreases excitability of inhibitory neurons in the basolateral amygdala leading to anxiety‑like behavior in aged mice. Exp Ther Med 28: 399, 2024.
APA
Li, M., Zhang, R., Wu, S., Cheng, L., Fu, H., & Qu, L. (2024). Isoflurane anesthesia decreases excitability of inhibitory neurons in the basolateral amygdala leading to anxiety‑like behavior in aged mice. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 28, 399. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2024.12688
MLA
Li, M., Zhang, R., Wu, S., Cheng, L., Fu, H., Qu, L."Isoflurane anesthesia decreases excitability of inhibitory neurons in the basolateral amygdala leading to anxiety‑like behavior in aged mice". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 28.4 (2024): 399.
Chicago
Li, M., Zhang, R., Wu, S., Cheng, L., Fu, H., Qu, L."Isoflurane anesthesia decreases excitability of inhibitory neurons in the basolateral amygdala leading to anxiety‑like behavior in aged mice". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 28, no. 4 (2024): 399. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2024.12688