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1: Neurosci Lett. 2001 Oct 12;312(1):45-9.Click here to read Links

Propofol activates vanilloid receptor channels expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells.

Tsutsumi S, Tomioka A, Sudo M, Nakamura A, Shirakura K, Takagishi K, Kohama K.

Department of Pharmacology, Gunma University School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan. stutumi@med.gunma-u.ac.jp

Propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol) is an intravenous anesthetic agent structurally unrelated to any other intravenous anesthetics. We examined the effect of propofol on a rat vanilloid receptor that was expressed in the human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells by using calcium imaging method. Propofol caused a concentration-dependent increase in [Ca(2+)](i) in the HEK293 cells with the receptor. These responses were inhibited by removing extracellular calcium ions. The propofol-evoked increase in [Ca(2+)](i) in the HEK293 cells with the receptor was partially inhibited by capsazepine, a competitive antagonist of capsaicin. We conclude that propofol acts as an agonist for the receptor.

PMID: 11578842 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]