PROPOFOL AND INTRALIPID INTERACT WITH REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES - A CHEMILUMINESCENCE STUDY

We have studied the ability of propofol and Intralipid to inhibit reac tive oxygen species generated either by stimulated human leucocytes or cell-free systems using luminol chemiluminescence. Human leucocytes w ere stimulated by a chemotactic peptide, FMLP 1 mu mol litre(-1), or b y a phorbol ester, PMA (protein kinase C activator) 0.1 mu mol In cell -free experiments, superoxide-hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorous acid or hydroxyl radical-induced chemiluminescence responses were initiated by xanthine 0.1 mmol litre(-1) with xanthine oxidase 10 mu. ml(-1), NaOC l 70 mu mol litre(-1) and FeSO4 3 mu mol litre(-1), respectively. Prop ofol with Intralipid, and to a lesser degree Intralipid alone, produce d a concentration-dependent reduction in chemiluminescence from stimul ated leucocytes. Similar attenuations were also observed using propofo l with Intralipid on xanthine with xanthine oxidase-, HOCl- and ferrou s iron-induced chemiluminescence. However, Intralipid produced a reduc tion only at high concentrations. Intralipid produced marked decreases in ferrous iron-induced chemiluminescence. This study suggests that p ropofol had a direct scavenging activity against HOCl, superoxide-hydr ogen peroxide and hydroxyl radical in the concentrations used. These d irect scavenging effects may contribute to the effect of propofol on h uman leucocyte chemiluminescence.