One Week of Continuous Anesthesia by Propofol (2,6-Diisopropylphenol) Does Not Cause Neurobehavioral Changes after Recovery in the Mexican Axolotl Salamander

Abstract

The Mexican axolotl salamander is an important model species in regenerative medical research and experiments involving this species often require anesthesia which is usually limited to the duration of the surgical procedure or other interventions, usually lasting no more than a few hours. This study aimed to examine the potential for increasing the duration of anesthesia by continued propofol infusion for a week. Neurobehavioral changes in response to prolonged anesthesia were evaluated after two and seven days of recovery by assessing the resultant changes in response to tactile and nociceptive stimulation and tracking activity levels post-anesthesia. No indications of neurotoxicity were found, but significant and reversible swelling was observed. This concern should be addressed before attempting to extend the duration of anesthesia beyond one week in future experiments. In summary, our study demonstrated the potential for long-term anesthesia in the Mexican axolotl with no indications of neurotoxicity.