RNA-seq of mouse cortical tissue and astrocytes after anesthesia and induction of neuronal activity

General anesthesia is a common clinical procedure yet can result in long term CNS-adverse effects, particularly in the elderly, or dementia patients. Suppression of cortical activity is a key feature of the anesthetic-induced unconscious state, with activity being a well-described regulator of pathways important for brain health. However the extent to which the effects of anesthesia go beyond simple suppression of neuronal activity is incompletely understood, as are its effects on non-neuronal cell types such as astrocytes, which are important integrators of both neuronal activity and inflammatory signalling. In order to address these questions, we performed a combination of RNA-seq and TRAP-seq (Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification, where astrocyte-specific translating mRNAs are sequenced) on mouse cortical tissue and primary cortical neurons.