Effects of propofol and ketamine on ATP-induced contraction of the rat trachea

Abstract

Purpose: ATP causes airway smooth-muscle contraction in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Propofol and ketamine attenuate the airway smooth-muscle contraction induced by histamine and acetylcholine. However, it is not clear whether propofol and ketamine affect the ATP-induced airway smooth-muscle contraction.

Methods: We examined the effects of propofol and ketamine on the ATP-induced contraction and ATP-P(2)-purinoceptor binding.

Results: Propofol attenuated the ATP-induced contraction in a dose-dependent manner, with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 54 +/- 22 microM. Ketamine at 300 microM attenuated the ATP-induced contraction. In the binding study, propofol attenuated the binding of the P(2)-purinoceptor with [(3)H]-ATP in a dose-dependent manner, while ketamine did not attenuate this binding.

Conclusion: Propofol attenuates ATP-induced contraction through the inhibition of ATP-P(2)-purinoceptor binding.