Effect of propofol on brain injury induced by intestinal ischemia-reperfusion in rats

Abstract

Objective To investigate the effects of propofol on brain injury induced by intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in rats. Methods Forty-eight adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 250-300 g, were randomly allocated to one of 3 groups (n =16 each) using a random number table: sham operation group (group Sham), I/R group, and propofol group (group P). Intestinal I/R was produced by occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery for 90 min followed by reperfusion.In group P, propofol 50 mg/kg was injected intraperitoneally at 30 min before reperfusion, and the equal volume of fat emulsion was given in the other two groups.Blood samples were collected at 24 h of reperfusion for determination of serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) concentrations.The cerebral cortex and hippocampus were isolated for measurement of TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA expression (by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity (using colorimetric method). Morris water maze test was carried out at 1, 3 and 5 days of reperfusion. Results Compared with group Sham, the serum TNF-α and IL-1β concentrations were significantly increased, the expression of TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus was up-regulated, the MPO activity was increased, and the escape latency was prolonged, and the frequency of crossing the original platform was decreased during reperfusion in group I/R (P 0.05). Conclusion Propofol reduces brain injury induced by intestinal I/R through inhibiting systemic and local inflammatory responses in rats. Key words: Propofol; Intestines; Reperfusion injury; Brain