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Propofol's effect on the sciatic nerve: Harmful or protective?

October 31st, 2013
Propofol's effect on the sciatic nerve: Harmful or protective?
After 1-week propofol treatment, the number of apoptotic cells was significantly reduced in spinal cord L4-6 segments in mice with sciatic nerve injury (TUNEL staining). TUNEL labeling, visible as brownish yellow staining, was mainly present in the cytoplasm of anterior horn cells (arrows). Credit: Neural Regeneration Research

Propofol is a rapid, but short-acting, intravenous drug that is preferentially used for the induction and maintenance of anesthesia. Propofol can inhibit inflammation and suppress the secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha from astrocytes, and enhance the synthesis and release of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10. Consequently, propofol can inhibit damage caused by proinflammatory cytokines and exert protective effects on the central nervous system.

A recent study published in the Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 8, No. 27, 2013) showed that after propofol was injected into the injured sciatic nerve of mice, nuclear factor kappa B expression in the L4–6 segments of the spinal cord in the injured side was reduced, apoptosis was decreased, nerve myelin defects were alleviated, and the nerve conduction block was lessened. The experimental findings indicate that propofol inhibits the inflammatory and immune responses, decreases the expression of nuclear factor kappa B, and reduces apoptosis.

These effects of propofol promote regeneration following sciatic nerve injury.

More information:
Sun Y, Zhang XZ, Zhou Q, Wang YA, Jiang YW, Cao J. Propofol's effect on the sciatic nerve: harmful or protective? Neural Regen Res. 2013;8(27):2520-2530.

Provided by Neural Regeneration Research

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