Sevoflurane-induced disruption of critical period Arc signaling drives aberrant microglial synaptic pruning and cognitive deficits

Description

Bai-hui Chen and colleagues trace how a common anesthetic can leave a lasting mark on the young brain. Sevoflurane is widely used in children's surgery, yet early exposure has been tied to later learning problems. Their 2026 mouse study found that the first three weeks of life form a tender window. The harm was pinned on a protein called Arc. Arc normally surges in that window to help prune spare connections in the hippocampus, a memory center.

The gas blocked that surge by speeding the protein's destruction. Young brains then kept too many connections at first, while cleaner cells called microglia pruned badly. Later, those same cells overcorrected, eating too many connections and leaving adults with thinking deficits. Restoring Arc only during the tender window reset the whole path and saved adult thinking, which names a timed target for protecting children under anesthesia.

Catalog record

Source: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/PMC13586363