Effects of sevoflurane and propofol on cultured bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells of rats

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) is a potentially effective vehicle for the cell and gene therapy in clinical disease treatment. We studied whether the most commonly used anesthetic drugs have negative effects on rat BMSCs in vitro.The cultured BMSCs were treated with sevoflurane (in 1.7%, 2.3%, and 3%); propofol (5 μg/ml, 10 μg/ml and 20 μg/ml); or 2.3% sevoflurane plus 10 μg/ml propofol. After 4-hour treatment, the cultured BMSCs were prepared for MTT reduction assays and cell morphology observation.Compared to the controls, the 4-hour sevoflurane exposure resulted in decreased cell viability of BMSCs in a concentration-dependent manner; however, 1.7% sevoflurane did not reduce the cell viability. The 4-hour propofol treatment did not affect the cell viability; but combined usage of 2.3% sevoflurane and 10 μg/ml propofol decreased cell viability. In BMSCs treated with higher concentration of sevoflurane (1.7% and 2.3%) and combined usage of the two anesthetics, the cell became raritas with wizened cytoplasm and had fewer connections to each other of BMSCs. More than 2.3%, or 2.3% sevoflurane plus 10 μg/ ml propofol caused cytotoxicity to BMSCs. However, propofol up to 20 μg/ml did not harm the BMSCs.The study indicates that it is necessary to choose the right anesthesia during the BMSCs transplantation therapy.