Therapeutic effect of propofol in the treatment of endotoxin-induced shock in rats.

To assess the potential therapeutic effect of propofol in the treatment of endotoxemia, 76 rats were randomly assigned to 5 groups: control group(A), endotoxemic group(B), pre-treatment group(C), simultaneous treatment group(D) and post-treatment group(E). Five h after endotoxin injection, PO2, pH, MAP, plasma concentrations of Nitrite/nitrate (NO2-/NO3-) and mortality rates were assessed in each group. After the rats were sacrificed, lung tissue was sampled to measure myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha contents. It was found that endotoxin injection produced progressive hypotension, metabolic acidosis, and a large increase in the plasma NO2-/NO3- concentrations and increased mortality rates in 5 h. Endotoxin injection significantly increased MPO activity and TNF-alpha contents in lung tissue (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). These changes response to endotoxin were significantly attenuated in the groups B, C and D. But these beneficial effects were blunted in the group E. The results suggest that propofol administration may offer advantages in endotoxemia.