{
    "abstract": "Common cognitive impairment in the elderly may be aggravated by the anesthetic propofol, whereas the mammalian target of rapamycin protein (\nA propofol-induced age-related cognitive dysfunction model was used in the experiments. Behaviours were evaluated by the sugar-water preference test and the water maze, neuronal damage by Nissl staining, and neuronal apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Neuronal autophagy-related proteins phospho-mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR), mTOR, BDNF, phospho-Unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1 (p-ULK1), Unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1 (ULK1), autophagy related 5 (ATG-5), and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-I/microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-II (LC3-II/LC3-\u2160) were detected by western blotting (WB); immunohistochemistry was used to detect the deposition of \u03b2-amyloid (amyloid-beta, A\u03b2) in the hippocampal region and the positivity rate of caspase-3; postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) and synapsin I (SYN1) levels were detected by WB.\nWater maze and sugar-water preference tests showed that the propofol group had longer escape latency, more platform crossings, lower platform quadrant time ratio, and reduced sugar-water preference, all improved by esketamine (\nBy inhibiting the mTOR-BDNF pathway with esketamine, the inhibition of neuronal autophagy ultimately improves the cognitive dysfunction induced by propofol.",
    "authors": [
        {
            "affiliation": "Department of Anesthesiology, Yantaishan Hospital, 264001 Yantai, Shandong, China.",
            "firstname": "Jieru",
            "initials": "J",
            "lastname": "Zhang"
        },
        {
            "affiliation": "Yantai Zhifu District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 264001 Yantai, Shandong, China.",
            "firstname": "Guofeng",
            "initials": "G",
            "lastname": "Xu"
        },
        {
            "affiliation": "Department of Anesthesiology, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, 264000 Yantai, Shandong, China.",
            "firstname": "Xiaoli",
            "initials": "X",
            "lastname": "Wang"
        },
        {
            "affiliation": "Department of Anesthesiology, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, 264000 Yantai, Shandong, China.",
            "firstname": "Leyan",
            "initials": "L",
            "lastname": "Qiao"
        }
    ],
    "conclusions": "By inhibiting the mTOR-BDNF pathway with esketamine, the inhibition of neuronal autophagy ultimately improves the cognitive dysfunction induced by propofol.",
    "copyrights": null,
    "doi": "10.24976/Discov.Med.202537195.60",
    "journal": "Discovery medicine",
    "keywords": [
        "cognitive dysfunction in the elderly",
        "esketamine",
        "mTOR-BDNF pathway",
        "neuronal autophagy",
        "postoperative cognitive dysfunction",
        "propofol"
    ],
    "methods": null,
    "publication_date": "2025-04-27",
    "pubmed_id": "40287805",
    "results": "Water maze and sugar-water preference tests showed that the propofol group had longer escape latency, more platform crossings, lower platform quadrant time ratio, and reduced sugar-water preference, all improved by esketamine (",
    "title": "Investigating the Mechanisms of Esketamine in Treating Propofol-Induced Cognitive Impairment in Elderly Rats.",
    "xml": "<Element 'PubmedArticle' at 0x7885040e5620>"
}