The anesthetic sevoflurane induces tau trafficking from neurons to microglia

Accumulation and spread of tau in Alzheimer’s disease and other tauopathies occur in a prion-like manner. However, the mechanisms and downstream consequences of tau trafficking remain largely unknown. We hypothesized that tau traffics from neurons to microglia via extracellular vesicles (EVs), leading to IL-6 generation and cognitive impairment. We assessed mice and neurons treated with anesthetics sevoflurane and desflurane, and applied nanobeam-sensor technology, an ultrasensitive method, to measure tau/p-tau amounts. Sevoflurane, but not desflurane, increased tau or p-tau amounts in blood, neuron culture medium, or EVs. Sevoflurane increased p-tau amounts in brain interstitial fluid. Microglia from tau knockout mice took up tau and p-tau when treated with sevoflurane-conditioned neuron culture medium, leading to IL-6 generation. Tau phosphorylation inhibitor lithium and EVs generation inhibitor GW4869 attenuated tau trafficking. GW4869 mitigated sevoflurane-induced cognitive impairment in mice. Thus, tau trafficking could occur from neurons to microglia to generate IL-6, leading to cognitive impairment.