ReviewEpigenetics2025
Anesthetic-induced epigenetic alterations: mechanisms and long-term clinical implications.
Review in Epigenetics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
This review explores how anesthetic agents influence epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA expression, and their lasting clinical effects. Common anesthetics, including propofol, isoflurane, sevoflurane, and local or regional agents, trigger epigenetic alterations. Preclinical research, especially in developing and aging brains, ties these changes to neurodevelopmental delays, cognitive decline, and shifts in immune and metabolic processes. While clinical studies are ongoing, accumulating evidence reveals that anesthesia triggers both transient and persistent epigenetic modifications, with potential links to postoperative cognitive dysfunction, prolonged inflammation, and altered developmental trajectories. Pediatric and elderly patients show heightened susceptibility due to brain plasticity or diminished resilience. Leveraging epigenetic knowledge could pave the way for tailored anesthesia approaches, reducing long-term risks. Moreover, emerging evidence suggests intergenerational transmission of these epigenetic changes via germline reprogramming, potentially affecting neurodevelopment and disease susceptibility in offspring. Future studies should prioritize large-scale human trials, detailed mechanistic insights, and identification of epigenetic biomarkers to guide safer anesthetic development. This review highlights anesthesia's broader systemic consequences, extending beyond immediate cognitive impacts, and underscores its relevance to personalized medicine.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.