Gene responses to anesthesia and surgery varied by age in mice
An experiment in male mice aged 3, 17 and 27 months found amplified stress- and immune-related gene responses in late middle age.
Limit: Gene activity was measured only 24 hours after surgery, not during long-term recovery
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Male C57BL/6 mice aged 3, 17 and 27 months underwent two hours of isoflurane anesthesia and surgery to open the abdomen in an animal experiment. Researchers measured gene activity in two brain regions, the lungs and the spleen 24 hours later.
The 17-month-old mice showed strong activation of stress- and metabolism-related gene programs in both brain regions. Activity fell in programs supporting nerve-cell communication and tissue maintenance. Their lungs and spleens showed amplified immune and inflammatory signaling. Young mice showed more limited, adaptive responses. The 27-month-old mice showed a distinct pattern, including activation of brain stress and detoxification programs and altered activity of body-clock genes in the lungs and spleen. Circulating extracellular vesicles, tiny packages released by cells, reflected tissue changes. Their protein contents changed extensively in the oldest mice.
Why it matters
The authors suggest that late middle age may be an overlooked window for assessing age-related surgical vulnerability and planning preventive measures.
Caveats
The reported results concern molecular changes at 24 hours, not long-term recovery. They came from male mice and do not establish surgical risks in people.
- Isoflurane
- Isoflurane anesthesia and laparotomy
- Cellular homeostasis
- Circadian clock
- Extracellular vesicle protein cargo
- Mice
The paper
University of Maryland, Baltimore
GeroScience, May 13, 2026, Open access
Comments
Be the first to comment.