Attenuation of acute lung injury with propofol in endotoxemia

Endotoxin causes acute lung injury (ALI) through many mediators of inflammatory and immune responses. Propofol is an antiinflammatory and immunosuppressive drug. We conducted this study to evaluate whether propofol attenuates ALI associated with endotoxemia. Thirty-two anesthetized rabbits were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8 each). ALI was induced by IV endotoxin 5 mg/kg over 30 min in 3 groups. In 2 of the ALI groups, IV administration of propofol (2 or 5 mg/kg as a bolus followed by continuous infusion at 4 or 15 mg (.) kg(-1) (.) h(-1)) was started 15 min before endotoxin. The other ALI group received soybean-oil emulsion. The nonlung injury control group received infusion of both vehicles. The lungs were mechanically ventilated with 40% oxygen for 6 h after endotoxin. Hemodynamics did not differ among groups. The large dose of propofol attenuated lung leukosequestration, pulmonary edema (as assessed by lung wet/dry weight ratio), and pulmonary hyperpermeability (as assessed by albumin levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid) and resulted in better oxygenation, lung mechanics, and histological change. The small dose of propofol failed to do so. Our findings suggest that a large dose of propofol successfully mitigates physiological, biochemical, and histological deterioration in ALI in endotoxemia.