Effects of volatile anesthetics on circadian rhythm in mice: a comparative study of sevoflurane, desflurane, and isoflurane

Purpose Volatile anesthetics affect the circadian rhythm of mammals, although the effects of different types of anesthetics are unclear. Here, we anesthetized mice using several volatile anesthetics at two different times during the day. Our objective was to compare the effects of these anesthetics on circadian rhythm. Methods Male adult C57BL/6 J mice were divided into eight groups (n = 8 each) based on the anesthetic (sevoflurane, desflurane, isoflurane, or no anesthesia) and anesthesia time (Zeitgeber time [ZT] 6–12 or ZT18–24). Mice were anesthetized for 6 h using a 0.5 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) dose under constant dark conditions. The difference between the start of the active phase before and after anesthesia was measured as a phase shift. Clock genes were measured by polymerase chain reaction in suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) samples removed from mouse brain after anesthesia (n = 8–9 each). Results Phase shift after anesthesia at ZT6–12 using sevoflurane (− 0.49 h) was smaller compared with desflurane (− 1.1 h) and isoflurane (− 1.4 h) (p < 0.05). Clock mRNA (ZT6–12, p < 0.05) and Per2 mRNA (ZT18–24, p < 0.05) expression were different between the groups after anesthesia. Conclusion 0.5 MAC sevoflurane anesthesia administered during the late inactive to early active phase has less impact on the phase shift of circadian rhythm than desflurane and isoflurane. This may be due to differences in the effects of volatile anesthetics on the expression of clock genes in the SCN, the master clock of the circadian rhythm.