In vivo and ex vivo effects of propofol on myocardial performance in rats with obstructive jaundice

BACKGROUND: Responsiveness of the 'jaundiced heart' to propofol is not completely understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of propofol on myocardial performance in rats with obstructive jaundice. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 40) were randomly allocated into two groups, twenty underwent bile duct ligation (BDL), and 20 underwent a sham operation. Seven days after the surgery, propofol was administered in vivo and ex vivo (Langendorff preparations). Heart rate, left ventricular end-systolic pressure (LVESP) left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), and maximal rate for left ventricular pressure rise and decline (+/- dP/dtmax ) were measured to determine the influence of propofol on the cardiac function of rats. RESULTS: Impaired basal cardiac function was observed in the isolated BDL hearts, whereas in vivo indices of basal cardiac function (LVESP and +/- dP/dt) in vivo were significantly higher in rats that underwent BDL compared with controls. With low or intermediate concentrations of propofol, these indices of cardiac function were within the normal physiologic range in both groups, and responsiveness to propofol was unaffected by BDL. When the highest concentration of propofol was administrated, a significant decline in cardiac function was observed in the BDL group. CONCLUSIONS: In rats that underwent BDL, basal cardiac performance was better in vivo and worse ex vivo compared with controls. Low and intermediate concentrations of propofol did not appear to impair cardiac function in rats with obstructive jaundice.published_or_final_versio

Propofol Attenuates Myocardial Lipid Peroxidation During Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery

Background. Propofol can scavenge free radicals because it has a chemical structure similar to antioxidants. Methods. We examined if free radical scavenging occurs with propofol during CABG operations. We studied 24 patients undergoing CABG surgery for triple vessel disease, randomized into two groups. After induction of anaesthesia with fentanyl 10 mug kg(-1) and midazolam 0.1 mg kg(-1), patients in the fentanyl group (n=14) received fentanyl infusion 10-30 mug kg(-1) h(-1) and patients in the propofol group (n=10) received propofol infusion 3-6 mg kg(-1) h(-1) for maintenance of anaesthesia. Atrial tissue biopsies were taken during cannulation for bypass, 45 min after cross-clamp insertion, 5 min after unclamping, and in the decannulation period. Lipid peroxidation was assessed by measurement of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the atrial tissue samples. Results. Lipid peroxidation in the propofol group was less than in the fentanyl group (P0.05). Conclusion. In clinical doses, propofol strongly attenuates lipid peroxidation during CABG surgery.WoSScopu

Cardioprotective effects of anesthetic preconditioning in rats with ischemia-reperfusion injury: propofol versus isoflurane

Objective: We compare the cardioprotective effects of anesthetic preconditioning by propofol and/or isoflurane in rats with ischemia-reperfusion injury. Methods: Male adult Wistar rats were subjected to 60 min of anterior descending coronary artery occlusion followed by 120 min of reperfusion. Before the long ischemia, anesthetics were administered twice for 10 min followed by 5 min washout. Isoflurane was inhaled at 1 MAC (0.016) in I group, whereas propofol was inhaled intravenously at 37.5 mg/(kg·h) in P group. A combination of isoflurane and propofol was administered simultaneously in I+P group. Results: In control (without anesthetic preconditioning, C group), remarkable myocardial infarction and apoptosis accompanied by an increased level of cardiac troponin T were noted 120 min after ischemia-reperfusion. As compared to those of control group, I and P groups had comparable cardioprotection. In addition, I+P group shares with I and P groups the comparable cardioprotective effects in terms of myocardial infarction and cardiac troponin T elevation. Conclusion: A combination of isoflurane and propofol produced no additional cardioprotection

Data from: A key metabolic gene for recurrent freshwater colonization and radiation in fishes

Colonization of new ecological niches has triggered large adaptive radiations. Although some lineages have made use of such opportunities, not all do so. The factors causing this variation among lineages are largely unknown. Here, we show that deficiency in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an essential ω-3 fatty acid, can constrain freshwater colonization by marine fishes. Our genomic analyses revealed multiple independent duplications of the fatty acid desaturase gene Fads2 in stickleback lineages that subsequently colonized and radiated in freshwater habitats, but not in close relatives that failed to colonize. Transgenic manipulation of Fads2 in marine stickleback increased their ability to synthesize DHA and survive on DHA-deficient diets. Multiple freshwater ray-finned fishes also show a convergent increase in Fads2 copies, indicating its key role in freshwater colonization

Propofol administration to the fetal–maternal unit reduces cardiac oxidative stress in preterm lambs subjected to prenatal asphyxia and cardiac arrest

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the effects of propofol on oxidative stress and its effect on key structures of the contractile apparatus as the myosin light chain 2 (MLC2) and the p38MAPK survival pathway in the preterm heart. We hypothesized that propofol administration could attenuate the hypoxic myocardial injury after birth asphyxia. METHODS: Pregnant ewes were randomized to receive either propofol or isoflurane anesthesia. A total of 44 late-preterm lambs were subjected to in utero umbilical cord occlusion (UCO), resulting in asphyxia and cardiac arrest, or sham treatment. After emergency cesarean delivery, each fetus was resuscitated, mechanically ventilated, and supported under anesthesia for 8 h using the same anesthetic as the one received by its mother. RESULTS: At 8h after UCO, occurrence of reactive oxygen species and activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase in the heart were lower in association with propofol anesthesia than with isoflurane. This was accompanied by less degradation of MLC2 but higher p38MAPK level and in echocardiography with a trend toward a higher median left ventricular fractional shortening. CONCLUSION: The use of propofol resulted in less oxidative stress and was associated with less cytoskeletal damage of the contractile apparatus than the use of isoflurane anesthesia