title: Different effects of etomidate and propofol on memory in immature rats.
abstract: This study is to investigate the effects of etomidate and propofol on memory and possible involved mechanisms using immature rats. Forty-eight rats randomly received intraperitoneal injection of 5 mg/kg etomidate (n = 16), 50 mg/kg propofol (n = 16) or normal saline (control, n = 16). Three hours after awakening, memory was assessed by Y-maze test using 10 rats in each drug group. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content in hippocampal tissue was measured using six rats in each group. Etomidate group had more total reaction time (TRT) compared with the control group in Y-maze test ( p < 0.05). No other difference between these two groups was observed. Propofol group had less number of correct response ( p < 0.01) and more TRT ( p < 0.05) in Y-maze test, as well as more GABA concentration detected in hippocampal tissue ( p < 0.01) than the control group. Propofol group also showed less number of correct response ( p < 0.05) and more hippocampal GABA concentration ( p < 0.01) compared with etomidate group. Etomidate does not show significant effects on memory in rat and further investigation is required. Propofol can affect memory in rat possibly via increasing the synthesis and/or secretion of GABA as one of the factors.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xu-Qing
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Wei-Wei
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Zhi-Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xin-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D005045:Etomidate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D015742:Propofol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D015742:Propofol; D005045:Etomidate
keywords: GABA; Y-maze; etomidate; memory; propofol