Comparison of the effects of propofol and pentobarbital on neurologic outcome and cerebral infarct size after temporary focal ischemia in the rat

Background: Although propofol is known to have effects on cerebral physiology similar to the barbiturates, a direct comparison of the relative effects of these drugs on outcome from cerebral ischemia has not been performed. The authors postulated that pentobarbital or propofol would yield similar effects on neurologic and histologic outcome from temporary focal ischemia in the rat. Methods: Wistar rats were anesthetized with sufficient doses of pentobarbital (n = 20) or propofol (n = 20) to cause electroencephalographic burst suppression. The middle cerebral artery was then occluded for 75 min. Animals were awakened 4-6 h after onset of reperfusion and allowed to recover for 1 week, Neurologic function and infarct size were then assessed. Results: Relevant physiologic values were similar between groups during ischemia and early reperfusion. No difference between groups was observed for severity of hemiparesis (P = 0.10). Total cerebral infarct volumes (median +/- quartile deviation) were similar for the two groups (pentobarbital = 190 +/- 36 mm(3); propofol = 200 +/- 24 mm(3), P = 0.35). Conclusion: Neurologic and histologic outcome were similar in pentobarbital or propofol anesthetized rats undergoing temporary focal cerebral ischemia and a 1-week recovery interval.