Modification of general anesthetic actions in diabetes model rats and clinical implications for anesthesia managements in diabetes patients

It has been reported that diabetes impairs hippocampal functions in the central nervous system. In order to demonstrate modification of general anesthetic actions in diabetes, we have studied effects of thiopental on hippocampal synaptic transmission in diabetes model rats (GK rats). The results indicated that diabetes attenuates the inhibitory neurotransmitter (GABA) due to the impairment of GABA recruitment at presynaptic terminals, suggesting that diabetes deteriorates postanesthetic cognitive dysfunction or emergence agitation in clinical anesthesia.