Neuroinflammation: an important mechanism of sevoflurane-induced developmental neurotoxicity
- 1Department of Pharmacy, Xindu District People’s Hospital of Chengdu
- 2Department of Nephrology, Institute of Kidney Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University
Abstract
For more than 150 years, the effects of general anaesthetics were assumed to be transient and harmless. However, in the last 2 decades, an increasing number of studies have reported structural and cognitive problems in the brain, particularly the developing brain. Despite increasing evidence of anaesthetic-induced neurotoxicity in animal research, data in humans have been contradictory and confusing. Sevoflurane is the most often used anaesthetic in newborns and applied during millions of procedures worldwide each year; however, this medicine has the potential to be neurotoxic. Short-term or a single exposure to sevoflurane has little effect on cognitive function; however, lengthy or repetitive exposure to general anaesthetics can result in cognitive impairment. This review focuses on the processes through which sevoflurane exposure during development can cause long-term negative consequences for the brain. We focus extensively on the link between sevoflurane anaesthesia and neuroinflammation as critical pathways for sevoflurane-induced developmental neurotoxicity. These findings are intended to offer a theoretical framework for the development of precise neuroprotective techniques and the optimization of current anaesthetic regimens.
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BibTeX
@article{liu2026neuroinflammation,
title = {{Neuroinflammation: an important mechanism of sevoflurane-induced developmental neurotoxicity}},
author = {Xiaoying Liu and Yue Zhou and Ting Xiang},
journal = {Frontiers in Pharmacology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fphar.2026.1979399},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1979399/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Neuroinflammation: an important mechanism of sevoflurane-induced developmental neurotoxicity
AU - Xiaoying Liu
AU - Yue Zhou
AU - Ting Xiang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/19
JO - Frontiers in Pharmacology
DO - 10.3389/fphar.2026.1979399
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1979399/full
AB - For more than 150 years, the effects of general anaesthetics were assumed to be transient and harmless. However, in the last 2 decades, an increasing number of studies have reported structural and cognitive problems in the brain, particularly the developing brain. Despite increasing evidence of anaesthetic-induced neurotoxicity in animal research, data in humans have been contradictory and confusing. Sevoflurane is the most often used anaesthetic in newborns and applied during millions of procedures worldwide each year; however, this medicine has the potential to be neurotoxic. Short-term or a single exposure to sevoflurane has little effect on cognitive function; however, lengthy or repetitive exposure to general anaesthetics can result in cognitive impairment. This review focuses on the processes through which sevoflurane exposure during development can cause long-term negative consequences for the brain. We focus extensively on the link between sevoflurane anaesthesia and neuroinflammation as critical pathways for sevoflurane-induced developmental neurotoxicity. These findings are intended to offer a theoretical framework for the development of precise neuroprotective techniques and the optimization of current anaesthetic regimens.
SN - 1663-9812
ER -