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Updated: Aug 18, 2026
Assessment of Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium Reserve and Intracellular Diastolic Calcium Removal in Isolated Ventricular Cardiomyocytes
Published on: September 18, 2017
Propofol-induced modifications of cardiomyocyte calcium transient and sarcoplasmic reticulum function in rats
T Guenoun1, O Montagne, M Laplace
1Unité Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM) U400, Faculté de Médecine, Créteil, France. tguenoun@invivo.edu
Background:
Propofol is considered to be an anesthetic agent with few or no negative inotropic effects. This study evaluated a possible direct depressant effect of propofol on sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ accumulation and cardiomyocytes.
Methods:
The effects of propofol on intracellular Ca2+ transients were evaluated in isolated rat cardiomyocytes using a microfluorometric technique with Indo-1. Sarcoplasmic reticulum function was also assessed by measuring the oxalate-stimulated Ca2+ uptake from homogenates of rat ventricles.
Results:
The Ca2+ uptake capacity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum was decreased by propofol (10(-4) M). Large concentrations of propofol decreased the rate of decrease of the intracellular Ca2+ transient, which resulted in an increase of diastolic Ca2+ when the diastolic interval was decreased. The increased diastolic Ca2+ also resulted in a decrease in Ca2+ transient. This effect appeared for lower doses (10(-5) M) after a short diastolic pause rather than after a long (2- to 3-min) rest (appearing at 10(-4) M).
Conclusions:
For doses more than 10(-5) M, propofol induces a Ca2+ uptake capacity impairment of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. This is probably responsible for a slowing of the decrease of the Ca2+ transient, which in turn increases the diastolic Ca2+ for high heart rate. These diastolic modifications may participate in the slight negative inotropic effect of the drug.
