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Propofol is currently one of the most widely used intravenous anesthetics and has been indicated to induce cognitive dysfunction in adults. Here, we investigated the effects of propofol exposure during early postnatal life on hippocampal neurogenesis. Propofol (30 or 60 mg/kg) was administered to mice on either postnatal day (P) 7 or P7-P9; cell proliferation and neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) were evaluated on P8 or P17. It showed that exposure to propofol on P7 decreased hippocampal cell proliferation as indicated by BrdU and Sox2 immunostaining at P8 in propofol treatment at the dosage of 60 mg/kg but not at the dosage of 30 mg/kg. Western blots revealed propofol treatment decreased Akt or extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) 1/2 phosphorylation in the hippocampus at P8. Propofol treatment on P7 to P9 reduced the numbers of newly formed neurons in the DG at P17, which was accompanied by delay of granule neuron maturation and decreased the density of dendritic spines, particularly the mushroom-shaped mature spines. Furthermore, the in vitro findings indicated propofol suppressed cell proliferation and cell mitosis and activated apoptosis of C17.2 neural stem cell line in a dose-dependent manner. These findings suggest that propofol impairs cell proliferation and inhibits neurogenesis in the immature mouse brain and thus is possibly involved in the cognitive dysfunction induced by propofol anesthesia.

Silicotungstic acid (HSiW) encapsulated UiO-66 nanocatalyst have been successfully synthesized by one-pot synthesis strategy and used as a stable and highly efficient catalyst for esterification.

L. Age and sex differences in vascular responsiveness in healthy and trauma patients: contribution of estrogen receptor-mediated Rho kinase and PKC pathways. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 306: H1105-H1115, 2014. First published February 15, 2014 doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00645.2013.-Several medical conditions exhibit age-and sex-based differences. Whether or not traumatic shock exhibits such differences with regard to vascular responsiveness is not clear. In a cohort of 177 healthy subjects and 842 trauma patients (21-82 years) as well as different ages (4,8,10,14,18, and 24 wk; 1 and 1.5 years) and sexes of Sprague-Dawley normal and traumatic shock rats, the age-and sex-based differences of vascular responsiveness and the underlying mechanisms were investigated. Middle-aged and young women as well as female rats of reproductive age had higher vascular responsiveness in the normal condition and a lower decrease in vascular responsiveness after traumatic shock than older men and male rats of identical age. Exogenous supplementation of 17␤-estrdiol increased vascular reactivity in both male and femal rats of 8 -24 wk and preserved vascular responsiveness in rats following traumatic shock. No effect was observed in rats 1 to 1.5 years. These protective effects of estrogen were closely related to G protein-coupled receptor (GPR)30, estrogen receptor-mediated Rho kinase, and PKC pathway activation. Vascular responsiveness exhibits age-and sex-based differences in healthy subjects and trauma patients. Estrogen and its receptor (GPR30) mediated activation of Rho kinase and PKC using genomic and nongenomic mechanisms to elicit protective effects in vascular responsiveness. This finding is important for the personalized treatment for several age-and sex-related diseases involving estrogen. vascular reactivity; sex; age; estrogen; estrogen receptor; Rho kinase; PKC IN RECENT YEARS, INTEREST in studying the effects of sex hormones and gender on cardiovascular function has been growing. Basic and clinical investigations have shown important differences in the structure and function of the cardiovascular system between men and women (32). Several studies have shown that premenopausal women are protected from most cardiovascular events as compared with men (26). However, after the menopause, women are at an increased risk of cardiovascular complications as compared with premenopausal women (26). The pathophysiological mechanisms for such differences are not clear, but studies have shown that sex steroids make some contribution (30,36,42).Trauma is often seen in civilian and military situations. Hemorrhage and hemorrhagic shock are the major causes of early deaths in injured soldiers and in injuries due to accidents. Studies have shown that traumatic hemorrhagic shock accounts for Ϸ50% of deaths of battle personnel and for 66%-80% of trauma deaths (8, 13). Vascular responsiveness is a key factor in maintaining vascular tone and hemodynamic stability, helps to determine tissue perfusion, and affects other organ functions (23,24). ...

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