title: Propofol attenuates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury partially using heme oxygenase-1.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To investigate the protective effects of propofol in brain ischemia/reperfusion injury and the role of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in this process.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 9 groups: sham-operated group; middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) group; propofol 10, 20, and 50 mg/kg/h group (propofol 10, 20, 50 mg/kg/h infused at the onset of reperfusion for 30 min), ZnPPIX (a HO-1 activity inhibitor) group (ZnPPIX 20 μmol/kg administered 24 h before MCAO), and the other 3 groups received ZnPPIX followed by 10, 20, and 50 mg/kg/h propofol respectively. At 24 hours of reperfusion, neurological examinations were performed, and after neurological test, brain infarct size and volume, neuronal apoptosis, the level of HO-1 protein expression and HO-1 activity were observed in each group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Propofol significantly improved neurological deficits, reduced infarct volume, and attenuated neuron apoptosis compared with MCAO group alone. Increased HO-1 protein expression was observed in the ischemic penumbra and core of propofol group after transient MCAO. The selective HO-1 activity inhibitor, ZnPPIX, partially eliminated the neuroprotective effects of propofol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The neuroprotective effects of propofol postconditioning in brain ischemia/reperfusion injury may be partially through the induction of the HO-1 expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cang
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhanggang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xue
mesh_terms: D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015415:Biomarkers; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000473:pathology; D057775:Ischemic Postconditioning / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D015742:Propofol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D015415:Biomarkers; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D015742:Propofol