It is known that propofol protects myocardium against a global ischemia-reperfusion injury in the isolated rat heart model. The aim of this study was to investigate whether propofol, at a clinically relevant concentration infused during the peri-ischemic period, also provides a protective effect against a regional myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in vivo .

Rats were subjected to 25 minutes of coronary artery occlusion followed by 24 hours of reperfusion. Propofol or intralipid was administrated during 35 minutes starting 5 minutes before the onset of ischemia until 5 minutes after the onset of reperfusion. A micromanometer catheter was advanced into the left ventricle and the hemodynamic function was evaluated. The infarct size was determined by triphenyltetrazolium staining after 24 hours of reperfusion.

Propofol administration during the peri-ischemic period demonstrated protective effects on hemodynamic function and infarct size reduction. In the control group, the peak rate of the ventricular pressure increase (+dP/dt_max)(P = 0.0001) and the peak rate of the intraventricular pressure decline (-dP/dt_max)(P = 0.0001) were significantly decreased compared to the sham group. In the propofol group, the +dP/dt_max (P = 0.003) and -dP/dt_max (P = 0.002) were significantly improved compared to the control group. The infarct size was 47.6% of the area at risks in the control group, and was reduced markedly by administration of propofol during the peri-ischemic period to 26.2% in the propofol group (P = 0.004).

Propofol, at a clinically relevant concentration infused during the peri-ischemic period, have protective effect after regional myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in an in vivo rat heart model.