Different doses of sevoflurane facilitate and impair learning and memory function through activation of the ERK pathway and synthesis of ARC protein in the rat hippocampus.

•Change in Sevoflurane may stimulate and depress memory in the rats according to the dose but the cellular mechanisms of this bidirectional effect are little understood.•We use intra-hippocampal microinfusion of U0126 to suppress the ERK activation in rats’ hippocampal neurons in vivo. 0.11%SEV led to rapid phosphorylation of ERK while 0.3%SEV inhibited it. There is a similar tendency in results of IA training. Local infusion of U0126 abolished 0.3%SEV induced memory impairment and ERK inhibition. Selective up-regulation of protein for Arc and Synapsin-1 in 0.3%SEV when compared with those in 0.11%SEV were also observed.•Our study implies that different doses of sevoflurane trigger synaptic plasticity through ERK and selective induction of the dendritic protein species Arc.