Description
Propofol is an agonist at GABA-A receptors and antagonist at voltage-gated Na+ channels and NMDA receptors; it also modulates Ca2+ signaling. Propofol displays anesthetic, sedative/hypnotic, neuroprotective, and nephroprotective activities. Propofol is a short-acting intravenous anesthetic that depresses the central nervous system, decreases cerebral blood flow, and decreases intracranial pressure. In a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion, propofol decreases expression of aquaporins 1 and 4 (AQ-1 and AQ-4), matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP2/9), and HIF-1α, decreasing edema and disruption of the blood-brain barrier. Propofol also increases expression of μ-opioid receptors in neuroblastoma cells. Additionally, this compound normalizes osmolality, serum creatine, and levels of AQP-2, ICAM-1, TNF-α, Bcl-2, and Bax in kidneys, improving renal function in animal models of endotoxemia-induced kidney injury.
References
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Li Z, Pei Q, Cao L, et al. Propofol increases µ-opioid receptor expression in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. Mol Med Rep. 2012 Dec;6(6):1333-6. PMID: 22965315.
Cui WY, Tian AY, Bai T. Protective effects of propofol on endotoxemia-induced acute kidney injury in rats. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2011 Nov;38(11):747-54. PMID: 21824173.
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