Role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in adverse and therapeutic effects of general anesthetics.

Abstract

Based on plasma concentrations, certain anesthetics can produce anesthetic, analgesic, and/or antidepressant actions. Anesthetics are potent modulators of brain activity and growth factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mediate both local and global plasticity. BDNF signaling has divergent actions on neuronal survival, structure, and plasticity based on developmental age, brain region, and activity.  This seminar will discuss how BDNF mechanisms mediate both antidepressant and anesthetic actions of different anesthetic agents, and how impaired BDNF signaling due to genetic variation (Val66Met) presents additional vulnerability to synaptic dysfunction under these distinct behavioral endpoints.