Background
To investigate the role of IL-17A in the neuroinflammation and cognitive function of aged rats anaesthetized with sevoflurane through NF-κB pathway. Method: The aged and young adult rats were randomly divided into Control (inhale oxygen only), Sevoflurane (inhale oxygen and sevoflurane), Sevo (Sevoflurane) + anti-IL-17A (injected with IL-17A antibody, inhale oxygen and sevoflurane), and Sevo + NC groups (injected with IgG2a antibody, inhale oxygen and sevoflurane). Cognitive function was evaluated by Morris water maze and contextual fear conditioning tests. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 expressions in the hippocampus of rats were detected by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) assay, and Nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway-related proteins by Western blot.
Conclusion
Anti-IL-17A may alleviate neuroinflammation and oxidative stress via inhibiting NF-κB pathway, thereby attenuating post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in aged rats anaesthetized with sevoflurane.
Results
Sevoflurane anaesthetized aged rats showed longer escape latency and swimming distance, fewer platform crossing times, shortened stay time in the platform quadrant compared to Control rats; In addition, increased levels in hippocampal expression of malondialdehyde (MDA), IL-17A, NF-κB p65, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and COX-2, as well as a reduced level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were also observed in these animals. However, the sevoflurane anesthetized aged rats treated with anti-IL-17A presented a completely opposite tendency concerning the above factors (all P < 0.05). Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in the acquisition of learning or memory, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress of young adult rats in all groups (all P > 0.05).