title: Propofol attenuates oxidative stress-induced PC12 cell injury via p38 MAP kinase dependent pathway.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the neuroprotective effect of propofol and its intracellular mechanism on neurons in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cell viability was determined with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide reduction. Apoptotic cell death was determined by Hoechst 33258 staining and a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. The caspase-3 activity was measured by fluorometric assay. Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphorylation was detected with Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pretreatment of rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12 with propofol (1-10 micromol/L) resulted in a significant recovery from hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced cell death and the inhibition of H2O2 induced caspase-3 activation and PC12 cell apoptosis. Propofol inhibited the H2O2-induced p38 MAP kinase, but not c-Jun N-terminal kinase or extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 activations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Propofol might attenuate H2O2-induced PC12 cell death through the inhibition of signaling pathways mediated by the p38 MAP kinase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xing-jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yong-jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Yong-yao
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Hong-zhuan
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D016716:PC12 Cells; D015742:Propofol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D053148:Caspase 3; D015742:Propofol