AUTHOR=Ma Lin-Hui , Yan Jing , Jiao Xin-Hao , Zhou Cheng-Hua , Wu Yu-Qing 

TITLE=The Role of Epigenetic Modifications in Neurotoxicity Induced by Neonatal General Anesthesia

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 15 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/molecular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2022.877263

DOI=10.3389/fnmol.2022.877263

ISSN=1662-5099

ABSTRACT=It has been widely demonstrated by numerous preclinical studies and clinic trials that neonates receiving repeated or long-time general anesthesia could develop prolonged cognitive dysfunction. However, the definite mechanism remains largely unknown. Epigenetics, defined as heritable alterations in gene expression that are not a result of alteration of DNA sequence, includes DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications, non-coding RNAs and RNA methylation. In recent years, the role of epigenetic modifications in neonatal general anesthesia-induced neurotoxicity has been widely explored and reported. In this review, we discuss and conclude the epigenetic mechanisms involving in the process of neonatal anesthesia-induced cognitive dysfunction. Also, we analyze the wide and broaden prospects of epigenetics in this field and its possibility to work as treatment target.