Sevoflurane neurotoxicity in neonatal rats is related to an increase in the GABAAR α1/GABAAR α2 ratio

Exposure of neonatal rat to sevoflurane leads to neurodegeneration and deficits of spatial learning and memory in adulthood. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The type A γ‐aminobutyric acid receptor (GABAAR) is a target receptor for sevoflurane. The present study intends to investigate the changes in GABAAR α1/α2 expression and its relationship with the neurotoxicity effect due to sevoflurane in neonatal rats. After a dose–response curve was constructed to determine minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) and safety was guaranteed in our 7‐day‐old neonatal rat pup mode, we conducted two studies among the following groups: (A) the control group; (B) the sham anesthesia group; and (C) the sevoflurane anesthesia group and all three groups were treated in the same way as the model. First, poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase‐1 protein (PARP‐1) expression was determined in the different brain areas at 6 hr after anesthesia. Second, the expression of PARP‐1 and GABAAR α1/GABAAR α2 in the hippocampus area was tested by Western blotting at 6 hr, 24 hr, and 72 hr after anesthesia in all three groups. After 4 hr, with 0.8 MAC (2.1%) sevoflurane anesthesia, the PARP‐1 expression was significantly higher in the hippocampus than the other brain areas (p