Effects of sevoflurane exposure on proliferation and differentiation of primary oligodendrocytes

Objective·To investigate the effects of multiple sevoflurane exposures on the proliferation and differentiation of primary oligodendrocytes.Methods·Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) were extracted from the cortex of rats on the day of birth and cultured in vitro. The cells were divided into control and sevoflurane groups. To simulate the clinical situation of sevoflurane exposure, cells in the sevoflurane group were exposed to 3% sevoflurane for 3 consecutive days, 2 h for each time. After the OPCs were differentiated and matured, immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) and the myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG). Cell proliferation assays (BrdU and Ki67) and a cell viability assay (CCK8) were used to detect the effects of sevoflurane on the proliferation ability of OPCs and the survival rate of oligodendrocytes. Western blotting was used to detect the protein content of caspase-3. Lentiviral transfection technology was used to overexpress YTH N6-methyladenosine RNA binding protein F1 (YTHDF1) in OPCs, and then CCK8 was used to detect cell proliferation and survival.Results·Immunofluorescence results showed that multiple sevoflurane exposures led to a decrease in the number of primary oligodendrocytes expressing mature myelin surface markers (MBP, MAG); Western blotting results showed that these exposures led to upregulation of caspase-3 expression in primary OPCs; CCK8 results showed that the survival rate of primary OPCs decreased with the increase in the number of sevoflurane treatments; however, BrdU and Ki67 staining results showed that the proliferation ability of primary OPCs was enhanced after sevoflurane exposure. In addition, overexpression of YTHDF1 could partially improve the decreased survival rate of primary OPCs caused by multiple sevoflurane exposures (all P<0.05).Conclusion·Multiple sevoflurane exposures impair the myelinating ability and survival rate of primary oligodendrocytes, manifested by apoptosis of some primary OPCs. In contrast, sevoflurane exposure compensatorily increases the proliferation ability of surviving primary OPCs.