Iron overload contributes to general anaesthesia-induced neurotoxicity and cognitive deficits
Journal of Neuroinflammation April 10, 2020 Jing Wu, Jianjun Yang, Yan Cao et al. 140 citations
General anesthesia induced by ketamine or sevoflurane disrupts iron metabolism, causing iron overload in hippocampal neurons and brain tissue. This iron overload triggers ferroptosis, a form of iron-dependent cell death, leading to cognitive deficits in young rats and aged mice. The iron chelator deferiprone reduces mitochondrial dysfunction, ferroptosis, and cognitive impairment. The mechanism involves NMDAR-RASD1 signaling activating DMT1, which mediates iron uptake. Disturbed iron metabolism may contribute to anesthesia-related neurotoxicity and cognitive decline.