ArticlePsychopharmacology2021
Propofol but not dexmedetomidine produce locomotor sensitization via nitric oxide in rats.
Article in Psychopharmacology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- Therapeutic Potential of Anesthesiology for Sleep Disorders in the Perioperative Period.Current neuropharmacology · 2026Review
- AMPA Receptor Within the Prelimbic Cortex Regulates Propofol-Induced Locomotor Sensitization.Addiction biology · 2025Article
- Propofol Suppresses Ferroptosis via Modulating eNOS/NO Signaling Pathway to Improve Traumatic Brain Injury.Brain and behavior · 2024Article
- Non-Opioid Anesthetics Addiction: A Review of Current Situation and Mechanism.Brain sciences · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
rationaleThe abused potential of some anesthetics has been debated. Measurement of locomotor sensitization is a better way to detect the neurobehavioral plasticity of addiction.
objectivesThe present study aims to explore whether propofol and dexmedetomidine are capable of inducing locomotor sensitization.
methodsMale Wistar rats (250-300 g) were the subjects (n = 8 for each group). Propofol (20 and 40 mg/kg) and dexmedetomidine (2.5-20 μg/kg) or saline were injected to rats intraperitoneally (IP), and their locomotor activities were recorded for 15 min. Consequently, L-NAME (30 and 60 mg/kg)-a nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory agent-was injected to rats 30 min before propofol (40 mg/kg) or saline injections, and the locomotor activity was recorded. The process was carried out for 13 days, with 7 sessions applied every other day.
resultsDexmedetomidine did not produce any significant locomotor sensitization. While propofol (20 mg/kg) produced a significant locomotor sensitization in the last treatment session (day 13), at the higher dose, it prompted a significant locomotor sensitization from the 3rd treatment session. L-NAME blocked propofol-induced locomotor hyperactivity and sensitization significantly without producing any noteworthy changes on the locomotor activity during the testing period of 13 days when administered alone.
conclusionsOur results suggest that propofol but not dexmedetomidine produced a significant locomotor sensitization via central nitrergic system. Dexmedetomidine may have a lesser psychostimulant type addictive potential than propofol. Sensitization development by propofol implies that this drug might be effective on the neuroadaptive processes associated with a stimulant type of dependence.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.