The widely used anesthetic agent propofol can replace alpha-tocopherol as an antioxidant.
The cell membrane is protected against lipid peroxidation through endogenous antioxidants such as the lipid soluble alpha-tocopherol. The anesthetic agent propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol) has a chemical structure which is similar to alpha-tocopherol, since it also contains a phenolic OH-group. The transient protection of GSH against lipid peroxidation in control liver microsomes is not observed in microsomes deficient in alpha-tocopherol. Introducing propofol (2 and 5 microM) restored the protective effect of GSH. Similar to the control microsomes the GSH-protective effect did not occur in previously heated microsomes. These results suggest that propofol acts similarly to alpha-tocopherol as a chain breaking antioxidant in liver microsomal membranes.
Aarts
L
L
Department of Anesthesiology, St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.
van der Hee
R
R
Dekker
I
I
de Jong
J
J
Langemeijer
H
H
Bast
A
A
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015394:Molecular Structure; D015742:Propofol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000975:Antioxidants; D014810:Vitamin E; D015742:Propofol