Effects of Propofol on Cognitive Function and BDNF Expression in Rats with Traumatic Brain Injury

［Abstract］Objective　To study the effects of propofol on cognitive function and expression of BDNF in the cerebral cortex after the traumatic brain injury （TBI）. Methods　Forty-eight SD rats treated with the Morris water maze were randomly divided into 3 groups with 16 rats in each group. Rats in the sham group were subjected to the operative procedure but prevented from traumatic brain injury. Rats in the control group and the propofol group were subjected to the traumatic brain injury named Feeney. After the operation，rats in the propofol group were injected propofol for 6 hours. The neurological functional status and the cognitive function of rats were assessed with NSS scores and Morris water maze tests on 3d and 14d post operation. RT-PCR and Westeron Blot were used to detect the expressional changes of BDNF in the injured cerebral cortex．Results　Compared with the sham group， NSS scores and the latencies of escape among rats in the control group were increased and times of crossing platform were decreased at 3d and 14 d post operation（P ＜0.01），and the mRNA and protein levels of BDNF were decreased at 3d post operation （P ＜0.01）. Compared with the control group， the mRNA and protein levels of BDNF in the propofol treated rats were increased at 3d and 14d post operation （P ＜0.01）， NSS scores were lower at 14d （P ＜0.01），the latencies were shorter and the times were increased（P ＜0.01）. Conclusion　Propofol improves the the expression of BDNF in the injured cerebral cortex and facilitates the recovery of the neurological and cognitive function in rats with traumatic brain.