Abstract
Aim:
Midazolam (MDZ) and thiopental are commonly used sedative agents. These two agents have been shown to have toxic apoptotic and neurodegenerative effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of these drugs on neonatal and adult rat brain.
Material and methods:
The study included adult and 7-day-old rats that were administered 9 mg/kg midazolam and 60 mg/kg thiopental or both. Bax, procaspase-3, and caspase-3 levels were assessed using Western Blot analysis and total oxidative stress index (OSI) were measured spectrophotometrically.
Results:
Procaspase-3 and caspase-3 levels were 12% and 6% lower in the neonatal MDZ group compared to the control group. Bax, procaspase-3 and caspase-3 levels were higher in the neonatal thiopental group by 25%, 4% and 34% and higher in the MDZ group by 16%, 19% and 43% compared to the neonatal control group. In adult rats, caspase-3 levels were 10 times higher in the MDZ group compared to the control and thiopental groups. Moreover, caspase-3 levels were 7 times higher in the adult thiopental group compared to the control group. The OSI values in neonatal rats were significantly higher in neonatal MDZ and neonatal thiopental groups compared to the control group (p 0.05). Similarly, the OSI values in adult rats were significantly higher in the neonatal MDZ and neonatal thiopental groups compared to the control group (p 0.05).
Conclusion:
MDZ and thiopental may promote apoptosis and oxidative stress and thereby result in neurotoxicity, with MDZ showing a greater effect in adults and thiopental showing a greater effect in neonates.
Celaleddin Soyalp et al.
Turkish Neurosurgery March 2021.