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ANESTHETIC PHARMACOLOGY

The Anticonvulsant Action of Propofol on Epileptiform Activity in Rat Hippocampal Slices

Hideya Ohmori, MD^*, Yasumitsu Sato, MD PhD, and Akiyoshi Namiki, MD PhD

*Department of Anesthesiology, Kitami Red Cross Hospital; Department of Anesthesiology, Moriyama Hospital; and Department of Anesthesiology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Yasumitsu Sato, Department of Anesthesiology, Moriyama Hospital, 8-6 Asahikawa, Hokkaido, 070-0038 Japan. Address e-mail to ymsato{at}d5.dion.ne.jp

We used extracellular electrophysiological recordings from the CA1 region in rat hippocampal slices to investigate the effects of propofol on the field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP), population spike, and epileptiform activity induced by a Mg²⁺-free condition. Propofol depressed the population spike, fEPSP, and epileptiform activity. Both aminophylline, a nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist, and 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine, an A₁ receptor antagonist, significantly reduced the effect of propofol on fEPSP amplitude. However, 3,7-dimethyl-1-propagylxanthine, an A₂ receptor antagonist, did not alter the effect of propofol on fEPSP amplitude. Picrotoxin, a specific chloride channel blocker, partly reduced the effect of propofol on epileptiform activity, but bicuculline, a competitive -aminobutyric acid_A receptor antagonist, failed to antagonize it. Aminophylline significantly reduced the action of propofol on the epileptiform activity. The anticonvulsant action of propofol was partly reduced by 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine, whereas 3,7-dimethyl-1-propagylxanthine failed to affect it. Adenosine depressed the amplitude of fEPSPs in a dose-dependent manner, and propofol enhanced this inhibition. The results demonstrated that, in rat hippocampal slices, propofol inhibits epileptiform activity. In addition, adenosine neuromodulation through the A₁ receptor may contribute to the anticonvulsant action of propofol.

IMPLICATIONS: We have demonstrated that propofol depressed epileptiform activity in rat hippocampal slices. Adenosine neuromodulation through the A₁ receptor may contribute to the anticonvulsant action of propofol.

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