• Ho-Kyung Song and Dae Chul Jeong.
• Department of Anesthesiology, Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, #665 Pupyung-Dong, Pupyung-Gu, Inchon 403-720, South Korea. song@olmh.cuk.ac.kr
• Anesth. Analg. 2004 Jun 1; 98 (6): 1724-8, table of contents.

UnlabelledIV anesthetics may inhibit proper immune responses and further compromise an already depressed defense system. To assess the possible role of propofol on human immune function in sepsis, we studied cytotoxicity, and apoptosis of mononuclear cells (MNCs). Peripheral blood MNCs were preincubated in 1 microg/mL of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and then reincubated in different concentrations of propofol (1 microg/mL, 5 microg/mL, 10 microg/mL, or 50 microg/mL). To determine cytotoxicity, lactate dehydrogenase release was assayed by mixing MNCs (4 x 10(5)/100 microL) with K-562 tumor cells as target cells (1 x 10(4)/100 microL)(E: T ratio of 40:1). Apoptosis was determined by measuring the annexin positive cells using flow cytometry. Cytotoxicity and apoptosis of LPS-treated MNCs were unchanged by clinically acceptable concentrations of propofol (1 microg/mL, 5 microg/mL, and 10 microg/mL). However, significant differences were observed in cytotoxicity (P = 0.004) and apoptosis (P = 0.002) with propofol 50 microg/mL. By gating MNCs, we found that lymphocyte apoptosis was significantly increased at 50 microg/mL of propofol, but monocytes were unaffected (P = 0.02). In terms of cytotoxicity and apoptosis, propofol allowed MNCs to retain their cytotoxicity in septic conditions by protecting immune cells from apoptosis.ImplicationsPropofol at acceptable therapeutic concentrations, and under experimentally contrived septic conditions, did not affect the cytotoxic activity of mononuclear cells or the apoptosis level of mononuclear cells, lymphocytes, and monocytes from peripheral blood.

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