Background and Goal of Study: In oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production contribute cellular dysfunction and cell apoptosis. And autophagy is though the mechanism for decreasing ROS concentration and oxidative damage. Propofol presents antioxidant properties. So in this study, we investigated whether the propofol preconditioning protects cell damage from hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress and influences on cellular autophagy.
Materials and methods: The groups were randomly divided into the following groups: Control; cells were incubated in normoxia (5% CO2, 21% O2 and 74% N2) without propofol, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2); cells were exposed to 24 h H2O2 (400µM), propofol preconditioning (PPC)+ H2O2; cells pretreated with propofol were exposed to H2O2, 3-Methyladenine (3-MA)+PPC+ H2O2; cells pretreated with 3-MA (1mM) 1 h and propofol were exposed to H2O2. Cell viability was determined with MTT reduction. Apoptosis was determined by Hoechst 33342 staining. Relation with autophagy was detected with western blot analysis.
Results and discussion: Cell viability decreased significantly in H2O2 group and which was improved by propofol preconditioning. Propofol effectively decreased H2O2-induced COS-7 cell apoptosis. However, 3-MA inhibited the protective effect of propofol at cell apoptosis. In western blot analysis, autophagy related proteins were increased in PPC+H2O2 group compared.
Conclusion(s): This study suggests that propofol preconditioning has protective effect on H2O2-induced COS-7 cell death, which is mediated by autophagy activation.

Propofol protects oxidative stress-induced COS-7 cell death by induction of autophagy