EFFECTS OF PROPOFOL AND THIOPENTONE ON POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTE FUNCTIONS IN-VITRO

Anaesthetic agents may impair host defense mechanisms including polymo rphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) function. We have studied the effects of thiopentone and propofol in low (thiopentone Ia mg/L, propofol 2 mg/l) and high (thiopentone 40 mg/L, propofol 6 mg/L) clinically relevant c oncentrations on PMNL adherence, chemotaxis, phagocytosis and killing in vitro. The results demonstrated that thiopentone in both concentrat ions significantly decreases all PMNL functions tested and had a direc t influence on the PMNLs in terms of their chemotactic response. In co ntrast, propofol decreases significantly only PMNL chemotaxis but not adherence, phagocytosis and killing. The effect of propofol was not at tributable to the lipid carrier vehicle, as Intralipid with same formu lation had no effect on PMNL function. We conclude that propofol is a relatively safe agent from the Viewpoint of PMNL function in vitro, wh ich may be of potential clinical benefit.