ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the effect of sevoflurane postconditioning on autophagy during focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in rats.Methods Forty-five clean-grade healthy male SpragueDawley rats,weighing 280-350 g,were divided into 3 groups (n=15 each) using a random number table method:sham operation group (S group),cerebral I/R group (I/R group) and sevoflurane postconditioning group (SP group).Focal cerebral I/R injury model was established by Zea-Longa method in chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats.The animals in SP group inhaled 2.4％ sevoflurane for 30 min starting from onset of reperfusion.The expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3 and beclin-1 was detected by Western blot at 2 h of reperfusion.The cerebral cortex was removed for examination of the morphology and number of autophagosomes with an electron microscope.Neurological deficit was assessed and scored at 24 h of reperfusion.Rats were sacrificed at 72 h of reperfusion for determination of the cerebral infarct size.Results Compared with S group,the neurological deficit score was significantly increased,the percentage of cerebral infarct size was increased,LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio in cerebral cortex was increased,the expression of beclin-1 was up-regulated,and the number of autophagosomes was increased in I/R and SP groups (P＜0.05).Compared with I/R group,the neurological deficit score was significantly decreased,the percentage of cerebral infarct size was decreased,LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio in cerebral cortex was decreased,the expression of beclin-1 was down-regulated,and the number of autophagosomes was reduced in SP group (P＜0.05).Conclusion Sevoflurane postconditioning mitigates focal cerebral I/R injury through inhibiting autophagy in rats.