Effect of propofol on expression of synaptophysin in nerve cells after ischemia reperfusion injury

Objective To study the effect of propofol on nerve cells after ischemia reperfusion(I/R) injury and expression of synaptophysin in hippocampal primary cells and cerebral tissue. Methods A model of rat oxygen-and glucose-deprived(OGD) and re-oxygenated hippocampal primary cells was established using in vitro cultured hippocampal cells from 12h-old Wistar rats.Effect of propofol on death and apoptosis of hippocampal cells was detected by flow cytometry and expression of synaptophysin in hippocampal cells was observed with immunocytochemical staining.A rat middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) model was established after I/R injury.The animals were divided into MCAO model group,propofol treatment group,and normal control group.Their body weight and neurological symptom score were observed on day 7 and 14 after operation.Expression of synaptophysin in cortex of rats was observed on day 14 after operation. Results The number of surviving OGD and re-oxygenated hippocampal primary cells was greater,the number of apoptotic cells was smaller,and the expression level of synaptophysin was higher after propofol treatment than before propofol treatment(P<0.01).The body weight was significantly higher in propofol treatment group than in MCAO group 7 and 14 days after operation((285.0±1.6) vs(165.0±8.6)g,(304.7±8.6) vs(182.5±23.5)g,P<0.01). The neurological symptom score was lower in propofol treatment group than in MCAO model group 7 and 14 days after operation((1.17±0.23) vs(1.83±0.24),(1.00±0.41) vs(2.33±0.47),P<0.05).Immunohistochemical staining showed that the expression level of synaptophysin was significantly higher in propofol treatment group than in MCAO model group(P<0.05). Conclusion Propofol can protect nerve cells after cerebral I/R injury and increase the expression of synaptophysin in nerve cells of cotex.