IL-17A promotes the neuroinflammation and cognitive function in sevoflurane anesthetized aged rats via activation of NF-κB signaling pathway

BACKGROUND: To investigate the role of IL-17A in the neuroinflammation and cognitive function of aged rats anaesthetized with sevoflurane through NF-κB pathway. METHOD: The aged and young adult rats were randomly divided into Control (inhale oxygen only), Sevoflurane (inhale oxygen and sevoflurane), Sevo (Sevoflurane) + anti-IL-17A (injected with IL-17A antibody, inhale oxygen and sevoflurane), and Sevo + NC groups (injected with IgG2a antibody, inhale oxygen and sevoflurane). Cognitive function was evaluated by Morris water maze and contextual fear conditioning tests. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 expressions in the hippocampus of rats were detected by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) assay, and Nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway-related proteins by Western blot. RESULTS: Sevoflurane anaesthetized aged rats showed longer escape latency and swimming distance, fewer platform crossing times, shortened stay time in the platform quadrant compared to Control rats; In addition, increased levels in hippocampal expression of malondialdehyde (MDA), IL-17A, NF-κB p65, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and COX-2, as well as a reduced level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were also observed in these animals. However, the sevoflurane anesthetized aged rats treated with anti-IL-17A presented a completely opposite tendency concerning the above factors (all P < 0.05). Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in the acquisition of learning or memory, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress of young adult rats in all groups (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Anti-IL-17A may alleviate neuroinflammation and oxidative stress via inhibiting NF-κB pathway, thereby attenuating post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in aged rats anaesthetized with sevoflurane.