Propofol attenuates oxidative stress-induced PC12 cell injury via p38 MAP kinase dependent pathway.
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.
Wu
Xing-jun
XJ
Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Zheng
Yong-jun
YJ
Cui
Yong-yao
YY
Zhu
Liang
L
Lu
Yang
Y
Chen
Hong-zhuan
HZ
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*
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