title: Anti-inflammatory effects of propofol during cardiopulmonary bypass: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Propofol has been suggested as a useful adjunct to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) because of its potential protective effect on the heart mediated by a decrease in ischemia-reperfusion injury and inflammation at clinically relevant concentrations. In view of these potentially protective properties, which modulate many of the deleterious mechanism of inflammation attributable to reperfusion injury and CPB, we sought to determine whether starting a low dose of propofol infusion at the beginning of CPB would decrease inflammation as measured by pro-inflammatory markers.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 24 patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). The study group received propofol at rate of 120 mcg/kg/min immediately after starting CPB and was maintained throughout the surgery and for the following 6 hours in the intensive care unit (ICU). The control group received propofol dose of 30-50 mcg/kg/min which was started at the time of chest closure with wires and continued for the next 6 hours in the ICU. Interleukins (IL) -6, -8 and -10 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) were assayed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most significant difference was in the level of IL-6 which had a P value of less than 0.06. Starting a low dose propofol early during the CPB was not associated with significant hemodynamic instability in comparison with the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study shows that propofol may be suitable as an anti-inflammatory adjunct for patients undergoing CABG.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Samir
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gandreti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Madhere
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Loomba
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015742:Propofol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D015742:Propofol