Isoflurane preconditioning reduces oxygen-glucose deprivation-induced neuronal injury via B-cell lymphoma 2 protein.

A brief exposure to isoflurane prior to brain ischemia reduces ischemic brain injury in rodents. Here we showed that exposure of rat cerebral cortical neuronal cultures to 2% isoflurane for 30 min at 24 h before a 2-h oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) reduced the OGD-induced cell injury. This effect was abolished by HA14-1, a selective inhibitor of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein. Bcl-2 is well-known for its anti-apoptotic property. HA14-1 alone did not change OGD-induced cell injury. OGD reduced the expression of Bcl-2 in these neurons. This reduction was attenuated by isoflurane preconditioning. These results suggest that isoflurane preconditioning-induced neuroprotection is mediated by Bcl-2.