Gut Microbiota Mediates Repeated Sevoflurane-Induced Cognitive Impairment via the Gut-Brain Axis
Repeated sevoflurane exposure impaired cognition in neonatal rats and altered gut microbiota, effects partially reversed by antibiotic pretreatment.
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What the study showed
Sevoflurane-exposed rats showed spatial learning and memory deficits alongside elevated serum and hippocampal LPS, TMAO, and pro-inflammatory cytokines, with reduced tight junction protein ZO-1. Antibiotic pretreatment attenuated these changes, implicating gut microbiota in the mechanism. No differences in short-chain fatty acid levels were detected between groups.
How it was done
Thirty neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to five groups; cognitive function was assessed via Morris water maze, and biomarkers were measured by western blotting, immunofluorescence, gas chromatography, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
Risk of bias
Findings are limited to an animal model in developing rats with no validated human translation; the abstract is truncated, precluding full assessment of microbial composition data and statistical detail.
What this study does NOT prove
This study does not prove that sevoflurane causes cognitive dysfunction in children or that microbiota-targeted interventions are protective in humans.
In clinical practice
No direct clinical implication can be drawn from a rat model using antibiotics as an experimental tool. Data do not support changes in anesthetic practice.
Limitations
Findings are limited to an animal model in developing rats with no validated human translation; the abstract is truncated, precluding full assessment of microbial composition data and statistical detail.
Technical appendix
Version history
- 1.0 · 2026-08-26 — Auto-generated under Evidence Standard v1.0
Paid access: structured summary from public metadata; consult the original study at the source.