title: Neuroprotective effects of propofol, thiopental, etomidate, and midazolam in fetal rat brain in ischemia-reperfusion model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of propofol, thiopental, etomidate, and midazolam as anesthetic drugs in fetal rat brain in the ischemia-reperfusion (IR) model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant rats of day 19 were randomly allocated into eight groups. Fetal brain ischemia was induced by clamping the utero-ovarian artery bilaterally for 30 min and reperfusion was achieved by removing the clamps for 60 min. In the control group, fetal rat brains were obtained immediately after laparotomy. In the sham group, fetal rat brains were obtained 90 min after laparotomy. In the IR group, IR procedure was performed. No treatment was given in the IR group. One milliliter intralipid solution, 40 mg/kg propofol, 3 mg/kg thiopental, 0.1 mg/kg etomidate, and 3 mg/kg midazolam was administered intraperitoneally in the vehicle group, propofol group, thiopental group, etomidate group, and midazolam group, respectively, 20 min before IR procedure. At the end of the reperfusion period, the whole brains of the fetal rats were removed for evaluation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and for examination by electron microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to lipid peroxidation data, all the anesthetic drugs provide neuroprotection; however, ultrastructural findings and mitochondrial scoring confirms that only propofol and midazolam provides a strong neuroprotective effect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Propofol and midazolam may be used to protect fetal brain in case of acute fetal distress and hypoxic injury as a first choice anesthetic drug in cesarean delivery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Near East University Faculty of Medicine, Lefkosa Mersin 10, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ferhat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Harman
authors.forename: Askin Esen
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Hasturk
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yaman
authors.forename: Turkan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arca
authors.forename: Kamer
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kilinc
authors.forename: Mustafa Fevzi
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Sargon
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaptanoglu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005045:Etomidate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008874:Midazolam / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015742:Propofol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D013874:Thiopental / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D013874:Thiopental; D008874:Midazolam; D015742:Propofol; D005045:Etomidate