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PEDIATRIC ANESTHESIOLOGY

Subanesthetic Doses of Propofol Induce Neuroapoptosis in the Infant Mouse Brain

Davide Cattano, MD, PhD^*, Chainllie Young, MD, PhD, Megan M.W. Straiko, PhD, and John W. Olney, MD

From the *Department of Anesthesiology, WA University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri; Department of Surgery, University of Pisa, School of Medicine, Pisa, Italy; and Department of Psychiatry, WA University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. John W. Olney, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid, PO BOX 8134, St. Louis, MO 63110. Address e-mail to olneyj{at}wustl.edu.

Abstract

Drugs that block N-methyl-d-aspartate glutamate receptors or that promote -aminobutyric acid type A inhibition trigger neuroapoptosis in the developing rodent brain. Propofol reportedly interacts with both -aminobutyric acid type A and N-methyl-d-aspartate glutamate receptors, but has not been adequately evaluated for its ability to induce developmental neuroapoptosis. Here we determined that the intraperitoneal (i.p.) dose of propofol required to induce a surgical plane of anesthesia in the infant mouse is 200 mg/kg. We then administered graduated doses of propofol (25–300 mg/kg i.p.) and found that doses 50 mg/kg induce a significant neuroapoptosis response. We conclude that propofol induces neuroapoptosis at 1/4 the dose required for surgical anesthesia.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				F. X. McGowan Jr and P. J. Davis Anesthetic-Related Neurotoxicity in the Developing Infant: Of Mice, Rats, Monkeys and, Possibly, Humans Anesth. Analg., June 1, 2008; 106(6): 1599 - 1602. [Full Text] [PDF]