Figure 2.

Mg²⁺attenuates isoflurane-induced caspase-3 activation in H4-APP cells and brain tissues of mice. A. Western blot shows that treatment of 2% isoflurane for six hours (lanes 5 and 6) induces caspase-3 activation as compared to the control condition (lanes 1 and 2) in H4-APP cells. Mg²⁺ treatment alone (lanes 3 and 4) does not induce caspase-3 activation as compared to the control condition (lanes 1 and 2), but Mg²⁺ treatment attenuates isoflurane-induced caspase-3 activation (lanes 7 and 8) as compared to isoflurane treatment (lanes 5 and 6) in H4-APP cells. B. Quantification of the Western blot shows that isoflurane (black bar) induces caspase-3 activation as compared to the control condition (white bar): 1.54 versus 1.00 fold (** P = 0.001) in H4-APP cells. Mg²⁺ treatment (net bar) attenuates isoflurane-induced caspase-3 activation as compared to isoflurane treatment (black bar): 1.23 fold versus 1.54 fold (# P = 0.03) in H4-APP cells. C. Western blots shows that treatment of 1.4% isoflurane for six hours (lane 3) induces caspase-3 activation as compared to the control condition (lane 1) in mouse brain tissues. Mg²⁺ treatment alone (lane 2) does not induce caspase-3 activation as compared to the control condition (lane 1), but Mg²⁺ treatment attenuates isoflurane-induced caspase-3 activation (lane 4) as compared to isoflurane treatment (lane 3) in mouse brain tissues. D. Quantification of the Western blot shows that isoflurane (black bar) induces caspase-3 activation as compared to the control condition (white bar): 1.52 versus 1.00 fold (* P = 0.02) in mouse brain tissues. Mg²⁺ treatment (net bar) attenuates isoflurane-induced caspase-3 activation as compared to isoflurane treatment (black bar): 1.38 versus 1.52 fold (# P = 0.03) in mouse brain tissues.