Mechanism of neurotoxicity by anesthetics in the developing brain-Effect of hypercapnia

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To investigate the possible long-term consequences of neonatal exposure to hypoxic hypercapnia regarding learning ability, we investigated the effect of neonatal hypoxic hypercapnia on later functions in the hippocampus. Neonatal rat pups (postnatal day 7; P7) were exposed to a high concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2; 13%) for 2 or 4 h. Exposure to CO2 in P7 rat pups disrupted later learning acquisition, as assessed in 10-week-old adult rats subjected to a Morris water maze test. Induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the synapses of the hippocampal CA1 area was also impaired, whereas the paired-pulse responses of population spikes exhibited a significant increase in CO2-exposed rats. Such long-lasting modifications in hippocampal synaptic plasticity may contribute to the learning impairments associated with perinatal hypoxic hypercapnia and acidosis.