title: Propofol prevents delayed neuronal death following transient forebrain ischemia in gerbils.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Mibu, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Midorikawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitajima
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D015742:Propofol