The in vitro effect of desflurane preconditioning on endothelial adhesion molecules and mRNA expression

Lower expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and E-selectin may be responsible for attenuated ischemic-reperfusion neutrophil adhesion to vascular endothelium. Desflurane reduces ischemia-reperfusion injury. Therefore, we assessed whether desflurane affects the protein expression of ICAM-1 and E-selectin and mRNA expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 of human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVEC) stimulated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). HUVEC were preconditioned for 60 min with 1 minimum alveolar concentration desflurane before stimulating with TNF-alpha. Protein expression of adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and E-selectin of HUVEC were evaluated via immunocytochemical techniques combined with image cytometry. ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 mRNA expression of HUVEC were determined via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Desflurane not only reduced the protein expression of ICAM-1 and E-selectin but also ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 mRNA expression of the HUVEC. The adhesion rate of neutrophils with desflurane-treated HUVEC was slower. The decreased neutrophil adhesion on the desflurane-treated HUVEC correlated well with the decrease in adhesion molecule expression. These results show that desflurane affects the expression of adhesion molecules involved in the multistep process of neutrophil recruitment. Desflurane related ischemia-reperfusion injury reduction correlates well with expression inhibition of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and E-selectin that mediates neutrophil rotation and firm adhesion on the vascular endothelium.