Investigation of the effect of berberine on memory and learning in aged rats undergoing sevoflurane anesthesia.

BACKGROUND

Sevoflurane is a widely used inhalation anesthetic during surgical procedures. Experimental animal models have demonstrated that exposure to sevoflurane leads to cognitive dysfunction. The molecular mechanisms underlying sevoflurane-induced neurotoxicity, as well as the potential neuroprotective mechanisms of berberine, have not yet been fully elucidated.

OBJECTIVES

The current investigation sought to evaluate the effects of berberine on memory and learning in aged rats undergoing sevoflurane anesthesia.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Fifty-six male Sprague Dawley rats aged 20-24 weeks were assigned to 4 groups (n = 14/group): control, berberine, sevoflurane + berberine, and sevoflurane. The control group was exposed to 50% O2 and 50% air at a flow rate of 2 L/min for 6 h. The sevoflurane group underwent inhalation anesthesia with 3% sevoflurane mixed with 50% O2 and 50% air at 2 L/min for 6 h. In the sevoflurane + berberine group, berberine was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 50 mg/kg/day, starting 1 week before sevoflurane anesthesia. Following these procedures, the Morris water maze (MWM), elevated plus maze (EPM), and novel object recognition tests were conducted. Brain tissues obtained from the remaining 7 rats were preserved for TUNEL staining. The expression levels of the investigated microRNAs and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) in the frontal lobe, hippocampus, and plasma were determined using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), while BDNF levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

In the berberine group, compared with the sevoflurane group, plasma, frontal lobe, and hippocampal levels of microRNAs 9, 124, and 132 and BDNF were significantly increased, and TUNEL staining revealed a statistically significant reduction in apoptotic bodies.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates that berberine exerts beneficial effects on memory and learning at the molecular level in the geriatric population.