Do etomidate and propofol influence oxygen radical production of neutrophils?

The effects of etomidate in an alcoholic vehicle and in a lipid-emulsion as well as those of propofol on N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP-) and zymosan-induced oxygen radical production of neutrophils were examined and compared with the effects of their respective vehicles. Furthermore free-radical scavenging capacities of these medications were investigated. The dose-response effects of etomidate, propofol and their respective vehicles on neutrophil function were tested by FMLP- and zymosan-induced chemiluminescence of neutrophils and, in addition, in a cell-free chemiluminescence system. Effects of commercial preparations of etomidate were generally not drug-specific but due to the vehicles and/or to unphysiologic osmolality values. Propofol impaired chemiluminescence of neutrophils in a drug-specific manner, even in the therapeutic concentration range. Free-radical scavenging contributed to this depression of chemiluminescence of neutrophils by propofol. Different composition of the lipid-emulsions of etomidate and propofol resulted in either a stimulation or suppression of chemiluminescence of neutrophils. Propofol but not etomidate impairs chemiluminescence of neutrophils drug-specifically. Besides a potential interaction with the neutrophils, free-radical scavenging accounts for this suppression.