Propofol has been considered as a near-ideal anesthetic agent since its introduction 40 years ago. However, the side effects of propofol including bacterial contamination, hyperlipidemia, and neurotoxicity also aroused attention.… Click to show full abstract
Propofol has been considered as a near-ideal anesthetic agent since its introduction 40 years ago. However, the side effects of propofol including bacterial contamination, hyperlipidemia, and neurotoxicity also aroused attention. Nerve growth factor (NGF) plays a pivotal role in the development, differentiation, and survival of the neurons of the peripheral and central nervous system. In the present study, we found that NGF alleviated the apoptosis induced by propofol in hippocampal neurons. Furthermore, NGF treatment augmented the protein abundance and mRNA level of Rac1 while silencing Rac1 significantly blunted the effects of NGF upon propofol-induced apoptosis. In conclusion, NGF decreased propofol-induced apoptosis and this effect was Rac1 dependent.
               
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