The genotoxicity effects and oxidative stress of common volatile and injectable anesthesia drugs on peripheral blood during irradiation of BALB/c mice

Ionizing radiation (IR) is well-known for its genotoxic and cytotoxic effects. Additionally, anesthesia has been shown to cause various side effects, including genotoxicity. This study aims to evaluate the DNA damage and oxidative stress resulting from exposure to both anesthesia and IR. Seventy BALB/c male mice were divided into 14 identical groups and anesthetized using three different inhalation anesthetics (isoflurane, sevoflurane, and halothane) and three different injectable anesthetics (propofol, ketamine, and thiopental). We also evaluated combinations of these anesthetic drugs with 1 Gy IR. DNA damage in white blood cells was assessed using the alkaline comet assay at 0, 2, and 24 h after treatment. Additionally, oxidative stress in blood samples was measured 6 h post-treatment. The percentage of DNA in the tail and fragmented nuclei after 2 and 24 h was significantly higher in the groups given volatile anesthetics compared to the propofol and thiopental groups ( P<0.05 ). Furthermore, oxidative stress levels were also significantly higher in the volatile anesthetic groups ( P<0.05 ). When combined with IR, the volatile anesthetics and ketamine resulted in increased genotoxicity and significantly higher oxidative stress compared to the group exposed only to IR ( P<0.05 ). In contrast, propofol and thiopental did not lead to a significant increase in genotoxicity or oxidative stress compared to the control group ( P>0.07 ). Combining volatile anesthetic drugs and ketamine with 1 Gy irradiation resulted in higher levels of toxic effects and oxidative stress, although this combination did not produce a synergistic effect. Additionally, the combination of propofol and thiopental with IR did not show a significant difference compared to the irradiated-only group in both the alkaline comet and oxidative stress assays.