Abstract: ObjectiveTo determine the cerebral protection effect and mechanism of propofol on global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion damage in rats.Methods19 adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, ischemia group (n=7), propofol group (n=7), and sham injury group (n=5). Global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion model were made by means of Pulsinelli's method. Rats in propofol group were anesthesia with propofol at the dosage of 1.5 ml/h for 30 min at the beginning of reperfusion. Apoptosis and necrosis rate were detected by cytometry. In the same time, bcl-2, Bax and p53 protein expression in hippocampus neurons were detected. ResultsThe apoptosis and necrosis rate in propofol group were significantly decreased as compared with ischemia group ( P<0.05). Bax and p53 protein expression in hippocampus neurons were also significantly decreased as compared with ischemia group (P<0.05), however, no significant findings in bcl-2 protein expression (P>0.05).ConclusionPropofol can decrease apoptosis and necrosis rate in cerebral ischemia reperfusion injured neuron, and the mechanism maybe related to decreasing the expression of Bax, p53 protein.

Key words: propofol, cerebral ischemia, reperfusion damage, apoptosis, gene