Neuroprotective effect of propofol and remifentanil in the rat cerebral ischaemia reperfusion model

SUMMARYNeuroprotective Effect of Propofol and Remifentanil in the Rat CerebralIschaemia/Reperfusion ModelUlaş Bağatır MD, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Dokuz EylulUniversity Medical School, IZMIR.Objectives: Cerebral ischaemia can cause serious mortality and morbidity atperioperative period. Neuroprotective strategies are important for anaesthesiologyst.Anaesthetic agents have neuroprotective properties. In this randomized, controlledexperimental study, we compared the neuroprotective effect of propofol and remifentanil onthe cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion model in rats.Methods: Eighteen male adult Wistar-Albino rats were divided into three groups. Theanesthetized rats were mechanically ventilated using a tracheotomy cannula and invasivelymonitorized. Before 20 minutes of clamping both common carotid arteries, in Group Control(Grup C, n= 6) 2.1ml/h saline, in Group Remifentanil (Group R, n= 6) 2 µg.kg-1.min-1remifentanil, in Group Propofol (Group P, n= 6) 96 mg/kg/hr propofol was infused. After 20minutes of ischaemia it was allowed reperfusion for 40 minutes. At the end of the reperfusionthe rats were sacrificed by decapitation and the brains were collected. Each brain wassectioned coronally planes. This sections were immersed promptly in the solution of 2%2,3,5-triphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium chloride (TTC). Photographs of the brain coronal sectionswere taken. The photographs were analysed and the infarcted area was determined to be anaverage of coronal planes. A value of p < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.Results: Median value of average percent infarcted area in Group P %11,5 and meanvalue of average percent infarcted area in Group R % 13,5 was significantly lower than GroupC % 22.9 (p= 0.003). There was no significantly differences in mean value of average percentinfarcted areas between Group P and Group R (p>0.05).In conclusion, ultra short acting new opioid agent remifentanil may have aneuroprotective effect as well as propofol.Key words: Remifentanil, propofol, cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion, neuroprotection.