Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
Short-Duration Hypothermia Induction in Rats using Models for Studies examining Clinical Relevance and Mechanisms
Published on: March 3, 2021
[Effect of propofol upon brain after whole-body hyperthermia in rats]
Xin Zhao1, Yan-Wu Jin, Duan-Yu Wang
1Department of Anesthesia, Second Hospital of Shandong University, Ji'nan 250033, China.
Objective:
To investigate the effect of propofol upon acute cerebral insult during whole-body hyperthermia (WBH) in rats.
Methods:
Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups. All the animals were trained with place navigation test of Morris water maze (MWM) for 5 days pre-study. After training, some rats received anesthesia only but not WBH treatment as control, other rats were anesthetized with intraperitoneal injection of 3.0 ml/kg of chloral hydrate and 100 or 150 mg/kg of propofol followed with WBH process (keeping rat core temperature at 42 degrees C for 30 min). Space memory was checked using spatial probe test 24 h after WBH intervention. Rat brain was then removed in 24 h post-WBH to separate hippocampal regions for the detection of neuronal apoptosis with TUNEL method and ultramicrostructural changes by electron microscope.
Results:
The escape latency were smaller in groups B0, C0, D0, C and D than that in group B (P < 0.05) while smaller in groups B0, C0, D0 than in groups B, C, D respectively. The amount of apoptotic neurons in hippocampus increased orderly as following with no significant differences in group B0, C0 and D0: group B0, C0, D0 < group D < group C < group B (P < 0.05). The injury degree of neuronal ultramicrostructure in hippocampus in group C after WBH were more severe than that in group D but better than that in group B.
Conclusion:
Propofol alleviates the WBH-induced acute cerebral insult by inhibiting the hippocampal neural apoptosis.
