Differential Neurodevelopmental Toxicity of Propofol and Fospropofol: Mechanistic Insights and Potential Clinical Implications-A Zebrafish Model Study.
- 1Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.
- 2Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
- 3Cardiovascular Research Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.
Abstract
Propofol and fospropofol are used in pediatric surgical anesthesia, but their comparative developmental safety remains uncertain. In this study, zebrafish embryos were exposed to equianesthetic concentrations of propofol or fospropofol. Embryonic survival, hatching, malformation, and post-anesthesia motor behavior were assessed. RNA sequencing and molecular docking were performed to explore potential molecular mechanisms. Fospropofol exhibited lower developmental toxicity than propofol, as shown by the higher survival and hatching rates and a lower malformation rate. Comparative toxicogenomic analysis revealed distinct molecular pathways and candidate targets that may underlie these differential effects. Collectively, these zebrafish data suggest a favorable developmental safety profile for fospropofol and underscore the need for dose optimization and monitoring in pediatric anesthetic management; validation in mammalian models and controlled human studies is further warranted.
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BibTeX
@article{liu2026differential,
title = {{Differential Neurodevelopmental Toxicity of Propofol and Fospropofol: Mechanistic Insights and Potential Clinical Implications-A Zebrafish Model Study.}},
author = {Zhe Liu and Yingying Deng and Yuanye Gao and Chunyu Jia and Xueqi Zhao and Leyan Tao and Baochang Lai and Xinyan Chen and Yansong Li and Yue Han and Yaomin Zhu},
journal = {International journal of molecular sciences},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27198494},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42883742},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Differential Neurodevelopmental Toxicity of Propofol and Fospropofol: Mechanistic Insights and Potential Clinical Implications-A Zebrafish Model Study.
AU - Zhe Liu
AU - Yingying Deng
AU - Yuanye Gao
AU - Chunyu Jia
AU - Xueqi Zhao
AU - Leyan Tao
AU - Baochang Lai
AU - Xinyan Chen
AU - Yansong Li
AU - Yue Han
AU - Yaomin Zhu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/23
JO - International journal of molecular sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27198494
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42883742
AB - Propofol and fospropofol are used in pediatric surgical anesthesia, but their comparative developmental safety remains uncertain. In this study, zebrafish embryos were exposed to equianesthetic concentrations of propofol or fospropofol. Embryonic survival, hatching, malformation, and post-anesthesia motor behavior were assessed. RNA sequencing and molecular docking were performed to explore potential molecular mechanisms. Fospropofol exhibited lower developmental toxicity than propofol, as shown by the higher survival and hatching rates and a lower malformation rate. Comparative toxicogenomic analysis revealed distinct molecular pathways and candidate targets that may underlie these differential effects. Collectively, these zebrafish data suggest a favorable developmental safety profile for fospropofol and underscore the need for dose optimization and monitoring in pediatric anesthetic management; validation in mammalian models and controlled human studies is further warranted.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -