Common Anesthetic May Induce Cell Death, Generation Of Alzheimer's-Associated Protein

... A new study has found how one of the most commonly used anesthetics may produce Alzheimer's-like changes in the brain. Previous studies have shown that applying the anesthetic isoflurane to cultured neural cells can lead to generation of amyloid-beta protein -- the key component of senile plaques seen in the brains of Alzheimer's patients -- and to the cell-death process known as apoptosis. [click link for full article] ...