Propofol In Clinical Dose Affects The Expression Of ER-resident Molecular Chaperone GRP78 In Human Liver Cells

Objective:To investigate whether the intravenous anesthetics propofol in clinical dose could play its role in anti-apoptosis by upregulating the expression of ER-resident molecular chaperone GRP78 in human liver cells.Method:28 patients who met the inclusion criteria, including 20 patients with liver cancer and 8 patients with benign liver lesions, were scheduled for liver resection.20 patients with live cancer were randomizedly divided into two groups, Group TP and Group TS; in the same way,8 patients with benign liver lesions were divided into Group NP and Group NS. All patients received general anesthesia combined with epidural block. Group TP and NP use Graseby 3000 infusion pump to infuse propofol for induction and maintenance of anesthesia; Group TS and NS were anesthetized with sevoflurane for induction and maintenance. After partial hepatectomy, we collected liver cancer tissue samples from patients with live cancer and normal liver tissue samples from patients with benign liver lesions. We analyzed the expressions of GRP78 at the level of mRNA and protein with the methods of real-time quantitative RT-PCR, Western Blot and immunohistochemistry.Results:Real-time quantitative RT-PCR, Western Blot and immunohistochemistry have shown that:in 20 cases of liver cancer patients, both in mRNA and protein level, GRP78 expression in liver cancer cells in Group TP was significantly higher than Group TS, The difference was statistically significant; in 8 patients with benign liver lesions, GRP78 expression in normal liver cells in Group NP with no difference between Group NS.Conclusion:Propofol in clinical dose may upregulate the expression levels of ER-resident molecular chaperone GRP78 in human liver cells and thus play its role in apoptosis. Whether propofol in clinical dose affects the levels of GRP78 in normal liver cell is not clear, and further research is needed to resolve this question.