BACKGROUND: The intravenous anaesthetic drug propofol has been shown to depress myocardial contractility. Ketamine, on the other hand, is a well-documented cardiovascular stimulant. These differences could possibly be due to different effects of the drugs on the calcium homeostasis of the myocardium. METHODS: The fluorescent intracellular probe fura-2 acetoxymethyl ester (fura-2/AM) was used in this in vitro investigation to study the influence of intravenous anaesthetic drugs on free cytosolic calcium concentration in suspensions of isolated rat myocardial cells. RESULTS: Addition of 0.5-2.0 micrograms/mL propofol resulted in a significant and dose-dependent decrease of free cytosolic calcium concentration in the myocardial cells, while addition of 0.25-2.5 micrograms/mL ketamine did not affect this concentration significantly. CONCLUSION: The results imply that the previously demonstrated negative inotropic effect of propofol could possibly be related to its influence on calcium availability in the myocardium.
BACKGROUND: The intravenous anaesthetic drug propofol has been shown to depress myocardial contractility. Ketamine, on the other hand, is a well-documented cardiovascular stimulant. These differences could possibly be due to different effects of the drugs on the calcium homeostasis of the myocardium. METHODS: The fluorescent intracellular probe fura-2 acetoxymethyl ester (fura-2/AM) was used in this in vitro investigation to study the influence of intravenous anaesthetic drugs on free cytosolic calcium concentration in suspensions of isolated rat myocardial cells. RESULTS: Addition of 0.5-2.0 micrograms/mL propofol resulted in a significant and dose-dependent decrease of free cytosolic calcium concentration in the myocardial cells, while addition of 0.25-2.5 micrograms/mL ketamine did not affect this concentration significantly. CONCLUSION: The results imply that the previously demonstrated negative inotropic effect of propofol could possibly be related to its influence on calcium availability in the myocardium.
Authors: Zoe E Plummer; Sarah Baos; Chris A Rogers; M-Saadeh Suleiman; Alan J Bryan; Gianni D Angelini; James Hillier; Richard Downes; Eamonn Nicholson; Barnaby C Reeves Journal: JMIR Res Protoc Date: 2014-07-08