Caspase inhibitor Z-VAD attenuates caspase-3 activation induced by
desflurane/hypoxia in H4-APP cells. A, treatment with desflurane
(12%) plus hypoxia (18%) for 6 h (lanes 5 and 6) induces
caspase-3 cleavage (activation) as compared with control conditions (lanes
1 and 2) or Z-VAD (50 μm) treatment (lanes
3 and 4). Z-VAD treatment (lane 7 and 8)
attenuates caspase-3 cleavage induced by desflurane/hypoxia. There is no
significant difference in amounts of β-actin in H4-APP cells with above
treatments. B, quantification of the Western blot shows that
desflurane/hypoxia (black bar) increases caspase-3 activation as
compared with control conditions (white bar) (*, p = 0.016),
normalized to β-actin levels. The desflurane/hypoxia-induced caspase-3
activation is reduced by Z-VAD (50 μm) treatment (net bar; ##,
p = 0.009). C, desflurane/hypoxia (black bar)
increases secreted Aβ levels in H4-APP cells as compared with control
conditions (white bar) (**, p = 0.0032). Z-VAD (net bar)
reduces the desflurane/hypoxia-induced increases in secreted Aβ levels in
H4-APP cells (##, p = 0.00038). DMSO, dimethyl
sulfoxide.