title: Effects of propofol on the activation of hippocampal CaMKIIα in depressed rats receiving electroconvulsive therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of propofol on the activation of hippocampal calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIα (CaMKIIα) in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in a rat model of depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sprague-Dawley rats were stressed repeatedly for 28 days to establish a depressed model. Forty depressed rats were then randomly assigned (n = 10 per group) to the depression group, propofol group (received propofol once a day for 1 week), ECT group (treated with ECT once a day for 1 week), or propofol + ECT group (treated with ECT pretreated and propofol once a day for 1 week). Their depressive state was assessed using the sucrose preference test and open-field test, whereas their learning and memory were evaluated using the Morris water maze task. The expression levels of CaMKIIα and phosphorylated CaMKIIα (pCaMKIIα) were detected by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the depression group, the ECT and propofol + ECT groups had higher sucrose preference percentages and scored higher on the open-field test. The ECT group exhibited longer escape latency, shorter space exploration time, down-regulated expressions of CaMKIIα and pCaMKIIα in the hippocampus, and lower pCaMKIIα/CaMKIIα values. The propofol + ECT group showed up-regulated expressions of CaMKIIα and pCaMKIIα in the hippocampus. Compared with the ECT group, the propofol + ECT group exhibited shorter escape latency, longer space exploration time, up-regulated expressions of CaMKIIα and pCaMKIIα, and higher pCaMKIIα/CaMKIIα values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Propofol may potentially alleviate ECT-induced learning/memory impairment in depressed rats by enhancing CaMKIIα activation in the hippocampus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiao-bin
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Su
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Min
mesh_terms: D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005518:Food Preferences; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D009043:Motor Activity; D015742:Propofol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D013395:Sucrose
chemical_list: D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D013395:Sucrose; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D015742:Propofol