FIGURE 1.

Desflurane does not affect caspase-3 activation, APP processing, nor Aβ levels in H4-APP cells. A, treatment with 12% desflurane for 6 h (lanes 4–6) does not induce caspase-3 cleavage (activation) as compared with control conditions (lanes 1–3) in H4-APP cells. There is no significant difference in the amounts of β-actin in control conditions or desflurane-treated H4-APP cells. B, caspase-3 activation assessed by quantifying ratio of caspase-3 fragment to FL-caspase-3 in the Western blots. Quantification of the Western blot shows that desflurane treatment (black bar) does not increase caspase-3 activation compared with control conditions (white bar)(p = 0.14, NS), normalized to β-actin levels. C, desflurane (lanes 3 and 4) does not affect APP processing as compared with control conditions (lanes 1 and 2) in H4-APP cells. There is no significant difference in amounts of β-actin in control conditions or desflurane-treated H4-APP cells. D, APP processing assessed by quantifying levels of FL-APP in the Western blots. Quantification of the Western blot shows that desflurane treatment (black bar) does not alter levels of FL-APP as compared with control conditions (white bar) (p = 0.11, NS), normalized to β-actin levels. E, APP processing assessed by quantifying levels of APP-CTFs in the Western blots. Quantification of the Western blot shows that desflurane treatment (black bar) does not alter levels of APP-CTFs as compared with control conditions (white bar)(p = 0.09, NS), normalized to β-actin levels. F, desflurane (black bar) does not increase generation of Aβ40 (p = 0.10, NS) and Aβ42 (p = 0.56, NS) as compared with control conditions (white bar).