Clinically Relevant Concentrations of Propofol but Not Midazolam Alter In Vitro Dendritic Development of Isolated γ-Aminobutyric Acid-positive Interneurons

Abstract

Short-term exposure of immature developing GABAergic neurons to clinically relevant concentrations of propofol can induce long-term changes in dendritic arbor development. These results suggest that propofol anesthesia during central nervous system development could interfere with the molecular mechanisms driving the differentiation of GABAergic neurons and thus could potentially lead to impairment of neural networks.