Experimental studies have demonstrated that
general anesthetics administered during the period of synaptogenesis may induce widespread neurodegeneration, which results in permanent cognitive and behavioral deficits. What remains to be elucidated is the extent of the potential influence of the commonly used
hypnotics on comorbidities including
epilepsy, which may have resulted from increased neurodegeneration during synaptogenesis. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that neuropathological changes induced by
anesthetics during synaptogenesis may lead to changes in the seizure threshold during adulthood. Wistar rat pups were treated with
propofol,
sevoflurane, or saline on the sixth postnatal day. The long-term effects of prolonged
propofol and
sevoflurane anesthesia on epileptogenesis were assessed using corneal kindling,
pilocarpine-, and
pentylenetetrazole-induced seizure models in adult animals.
Body weight gain was measured throughout the experiment. No changes in the seizure threshold were observed in the three models. A significant
weight gain after exposure to
anesthetics during synaptogenesis was observed in the
propofol group but not in the
sevoflurane group. The results suggest that single prolonged exposure to
sevoflurane or
propofol during synaptogenesis may have no undesirable effects on epileptogenesis in adulthood.