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Propofol is a general anesthetic used in surgical operations. Phosphoprotein enriched in astrocytes 15(PEA15) was initially identified in astrocytes. The present study examined the role of PEA15 in the damage induced by propofol in hippocampal neurons. A model of hippocampal neuron damage was established using 50 µmol/l propofol. Cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis of hippocampal neurons were tested by Cell Counting Kit-8 and flow cytometry. Western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis were performed to measure the expression levels of PEA15, and additional factors involved in apoptosis or in the signaling pathway downstream of PEA15. The present results suggested that propofol significantly decreased PEA15 expression levels in hippocampal neurons. Furthermore, overexpression of PEA15 significantly increased the cell viability and cell proliferation of cells treated with propofol. Additionally, PEA15 overexpression decreased apoptosis, which was promoted by propofol. Treatment with propofol significantly decreased the protein expression levels of pro-caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma-2, phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK)1/2, ribosomal S6 kinase 2 (RSK2) and phosphorylated cAMP responsive element binding protein 1 (CREB1). However, propofol upregulated active caspase-3 and Bax expression levels. Notably, PEA15 overexpression was able to reverse the effects of propofol. Collectively, overexpression of PEA15 was able to attenuate the neurotoxicity of propofol in rat hippocampal neurons by increasing proliferation and repressing apoptosis via upregulation of the ERK-CREB-RSK2 signaling pathway.

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