Isoflurane reduces microtubule-associated protein 2 degradation compared with halothane during forebrain ischaemia in the rat.

One of the most prominent features of the early phase of cerebral ischaemia is the immunohistochemical collapse of cytoskeletal proteins. Among these proteins, microtubule-associated protein 2 (MtP2) has been shown to be vulnerable to ischaemic injuries. In order to identify a suitable volatile anaesthetic on the basis of cytoskeletal protein breakdown during cerebral ischaemia, we have compared the effects of isoflurane and halothane on MtP2 degradation in rats. Under equipotent isoflurane or halothane anaesthesia, forebrain ischaemia was induced by occlusion of the bilateral common carotid artery, combined with a decrease in mean arterial pressure to 50 mm Hg. After 20 min of ischaemia, the frontoparietal cortex, brainstem, hippocampus and cerebellum were removed separately and homogenized. MtP2 from each region was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. MtP2 degradation in the frontoparietal cortex and hippocampus was significantly (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01) less with isoflurane anaesthesia (75.6 (SD 10.7)% and 72.3 (12.8)%, respectively) than with halothane (65.0 (13.1)% and 54.7 (13.9)%, respectively).