Effects Of Propofol Post-treatment On Microglial Activation And Cerebral Edema In A Rat Model Of Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Early brain edema is a serious complication of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) that can lead to disability and death. It was proposed recently that microglia-mediated inflammation plays a vital role in early brain injury after ICH. Propofol is known to possess anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. Here we explored the effect of propofol post-treatment on early cerebral edema in a rat model of ICH and assessed the involvement of microglial activation. Interestingly, edema formation and microglial activation occurred in ICH rats after a 24h ICH period, as shown by increased ED-1 expression and OX-42 immunoreactivity as well as increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, we found that propofol post-treatment, whether low-and high-dose, attenuated both microglial activation and over-expression of IL-1βand TNF-αmRNAs and protein, with a concomitant attenuation of early brain edema. These results strongly suggest that propofol post-treatment provided neuroprotection against early brain edema in ICH rats, and had antiedema effects, likely by inhibiting both microglial activation and pro-inflammatory cytokines over-expression.