Effect of propofol on the offspring of rats during the second trimester of pregnancy

DENG Yuanrong; HUANG Xiaomin; CHEN Li

doi:10.13431/j.cnki.immunol.j.20250058

Abstract：Objective Objective To explore the effects of Propofol on neuronal autophagy,memory function,and the classical protein kinase Cγ(cPKCγ)-related pathway in the offspring of rats during the second trimester of pregnancy.Methods Thirty-six SD rats at 14 d of gestation were randomly divided into the control group,the Propofol group and the Propofol+cPKCγ inhibitor group,with 12 rats in each group.Ten pregnant mice were randomly selected from each group.The pregnancy continued until the offspring mice were born.The Morris water maze test was performed on the offspring mice at 30-34 d after birth.Western blotting was used to detect microtubule-associated protein light chain 3Ⅱ/Ⅰ(LC3 Ⅱ/LC3 Ⅰ),Beclin-1,cPKCγ and growth-associated protein-43(GAP-43)expression levels in hippocampal tissue,and immunofluorescence was used to determine the expression of autophagy-related protein ATG7 in hippocampal tissue.Results Compared with the control group,the Propofol group and the propofol+cPKCγ inhibitor group showed increased escape latency at 31,32,33 and 34 d after birth(P<0.05),while there was significantly decreased escape latency in the Propofol+cPKCγ inhibitor group,compared with the Propofol group(P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the Propofol group and the Propofol+cPKCγ inhibitor group had significantly decreased number of platform crossings(P<0.05),while there was significantly increased number of platform crossings in the Propofol+cPKCγ inhibitor group,compared with the Propofol group(P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the Propofol group and the Propofol+cPKCγ inhibitor group had increased time spent in quadrant I and decreased time spent in quadrant Ⅱ(P<0.05),while there was decreased time spent in quadrant Ⅰ and increased time spent in quadrant Ⅱ in the Propofol+cPKCγ inhibitor group,compared with the Propofol group(P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the LC3 Ⅱ/LC3 Ⅰratio,and the expression of Beclin-1,cPKCγ,and GAP-43 protein in the hippocampal tissue of offspring rats in the Propofol group and the Propofol+cPKCγ inhibitor group were significantly increased(P<0.05).Compared with the Propofol group,the LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio,and the expression of Beclin-1,cPKCγ,and GAP-43 protein in the hippocampal tissue of offspring rats in the Propofol+cPKCγ inhibitor group was significantly decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the expression of ATG7 in the hippocampal tissue of offspring rats in both the Propofol group and the Propofol+cPKCγ inhibitor group was significantly increased(P<0.05).Compared with the propofol group,the expression of ATG7 in the hippocampal tissue of offspring rats in the Propofol+cPKCγ inhibitor group was significantly decreased(P<0.05).Conclusion Propofol can cause cognitive impairment in the offspring of rats during the second trimester of pregnancy,promote neuronal autophagy,and inhibit activation of the cPKCγ/GAP-43 pathway in the hippocampus,which may improve cognitive impairment in the offspring rats.