title: Propofol improves recovery from paraquat acute toxicity in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether the antioxidative sedatives propofol and thiopental can improve recovery from acute paraquat toxicity in A549 cells and in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, controlled, dose-response, in vitro study and prospective, controlled animal study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A university animal research laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Established human lung cultured cells and male SPF ICR mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Paraquat-treated (0.2 mM) A549 cells were incubated either with the antioxidative sedatives propofol (0-0.56 mM) or thiopental (0-2.0 mM), or the nonantioxidative sedatives diazepam (0-3.0 mM), midazolam (0-3.0 mM) and ketamine (0-9.0 mM), as well as the antioxidative drugs, trolox (0-2.0 mM), alpha-tocopherol (0-4.4 mM), antioxidative-processed food (AOB; 0-1.0 mg/ml), superoxide dismutase (SOD; 0 and 3,000 U/ml) and ulinastatin (0 and 50,000 U/ml), for 48 h. Paraquat-treated mice received i.v. injections of 10 mg/kg propofol, 5 mg/kg thiopental, 4.0 mg/kg trolox, 100 mg/kg alpha-tocopherol, 10 mg/kg AOB or 5,000 U/kg SOD, b.i.d. for 4 days (n = 10 each).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Post-administered propofol and thiopental, as well as the antioxidative drugs, trolox, alpha-tocopherol and AOB, improved A549 cell survival in vitro. The non-antioxidative sedatives SOD and ulinastatin were not protective. An i.p. injection of 50 mg/kg of paraquat resulted in a survival rate of 40% in mice at day 6. Propofol, trolox, alpha-tocopherol and AOB significantly lowered the mortality rate (80% survival), while thiopental did not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Post i.v. injection of propofol is protective against paraquat-induced damage. Propofol can be given during mechanical ventilatory support after paraquat poisoning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ariyama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aono
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsuchida
authors.forename: K I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Hirai
mesh_terms: D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006540:Herbicides / Q000633:toxicity*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010269:Paraquat / Q000633:toxicity*; D011041:Poisoning / Q000188:drug therapy; D015742:Propofol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013481:Superoxides; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013874:Thiopental / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D006540:Herbicides; D013481:Superoxides; D013874:Thiopental; D010269:Paraquat; D015742:Propofol