Sevoflurane exerts various protective effects in two murine peritonitis-induced sepsis models. These protective effects were linked with a functional adenosine A2B receptor.

Sevoflurane reduced the neutrophil counts in the peritoneal lavage (mean ± SD, 25 ± 17 × 105vs. 12 ± 7 × 105 neutrophils; P = 0.004; n = 19/17) by lower expression of various adhesion molecules on neutrophils of wild-type animals but not of adenosine A2B receptor −/− animals.

The cytokines concentration (means ± SD, tumor necrosis factor α [pg/ml], 523 ± 227 vs. 281 ± 101; P = 0.002; n = 9/9) and protein extravasation (mean ± SD [mg/ml], 1.4 ± 0.3 vs. 0.8 ± 0.4; P = 0.002; n = 12/11) were also lower after sevoflurane only in the wild-type mice.

In mouse models of zymosan- and fecal-induced peritonitis, male mice were anesthetized with sevoflurane (2 volume percent, 30 min) after the onset of inflammation.

Control animals received the solvent saline.

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