Neuroprotective effects of propofol on ER stress-mediated apoptosis in neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells

Anesthetic treatment has been associated with widespread apoptotic neurodegeneration in the neonatal rodent brain. It has recently been suggested that propofol, a short-acting intravenous anesthetic agent, may have a potential as a neuroprotective agent. An apoptotic pathway mediated through endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been attracting attention. ER stress is associated with accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in ER, and ER stress-induced apoptosis is implicated in a wide range of diseases, including ischemia/reperfusion injury, neurodegeneration, and diabetes. We investigated whether thapsigargin-induced ER stress is prevented by propofol in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. SH-SY5Y cells were pretreated with various concentrations of propofol (1–10 μM) for 3 h before co-treatment with 0.5 μM thapsigargin and propofol for 20 h. Levels of ssDNA, specific evidence of apoptosis, and biomarkers of ER stress (mRNA expression of Chop and sXbp-1) were determined. We also assayed calpain and caspase-4 activities and intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) levels. Thapsigargin-induced increases in ssDNA levels, expressions of ER stress biomarkers, activities of caspase-4 and calpain, and level of [Ca2+]i were suppressed by co-incubation with propofol. Our data indicate the possibility that propofol inhibits the Ca2+ release from ER at clinically employed dose levels. These results demonstrate that propofol suppresses the ER stress-induced apoptosis in this cell system, and may have the neuroprotective potency. It may also be a promising agent for preventing damage from cerebral ischemia or edema.