Propofol prevents delayed neuronal death following transient forebrain ischemia in gerbils.
OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to ascertain whether propofol may protect against delayed neuronal death in the hippocampal CA1 subfield in gerbils.


METHODS
Thirty-five gerbils were randomly assigned to five groups: Group I, the control group, a sham operation treated with physiological saline solution (PSS); Group II, ischemia/reperfusion treated with PSS; Group III, ischemia/reperfusion treated with 50 mg x kg(-1) propofol; Group IV, ischemia/reperfusion treated with 100 mg x kg(-1) propofol; Group V ischemia/reperfusion treated with 150 mg x kg(-1) propofol. Transient forebrain ischemia was induced by occluding the bilateral common carotid arteries for four minutes under N2O/O2/halothane anesthesia after administration of propofol or PSS. Five days later, histopathological changes in the hippocampal CA1 subfield were examined using a light microscope and degenerative ratio of the pyramidal cells were measured according to the following formula: (number of degenerative pyramidal cell/total number of pyramidal cells per 1 mm of hippocampal CA1 subfield) x 100.


RESULTS
In group II, the pyramidal cells were atrophic and pycnotic; vacuolation and structural disruption of the radial striated zone was observed. In the other four groups, these changes were not observed. The degenerative ratios of pyramidal cells were as follows; group I: 5.9 +/- 1.9%, group II: 94.6 +/- 2.5% (P < 0.01), group III: 10.7 +/- 1.7%, group IV: 9.7 +/- 1.8%, group V: 9.2 +/- 1.9%.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that propofol may prevent delayed neuronal death in the hippocampal CA1 subfield after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in gerbils.
Yamaguchi
S
S
Department of Anesthesiology, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Mibu, Tochigi, Japan.
Midorikawa
Y
Y
Okuda
Y
Y
Kitajima
T
T
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000503:physiopathology; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D005849:Gerbillinae; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015742:Propofol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D011897:Random Allocation; D015424:Reperfusion; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000187:drug effects
D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D015742:Propofol