title: The widely used anesthetic agent propofol can replace alpha-tocopherol as an antioxidant.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aarts
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van der Hee
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dekker
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Langemeijer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bast
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D014810:Vitamin E; D015742:Propofol