Aim To study the effects of propofol on apoptosis of cortical astrocytes isolated from neonatal rats.Methods Pure astrocytes(AST)were obtained from the cultured cerebral cortical cells and identified by the GFAP stain technology in neonatal rats.AST cells were treated with different concentrations of propofol(0,10,30,90 μmol·L-1)for 8 hours.Cell viability was measured by MTT method,and the apoptosis was detected by Annexin V/PI double staining.Cytochrome C(cyt-C)leakage was detected by Western blot.Caspase-3 and caspase-9 activities were measured by spectrophotometry.Results AST cells were administered with different concentrations of propofol(0,10,30,90 μmol·L-1)for 8 hours.It decreased the survival rate in a concentration-dependent manner,induced the leakage of cyt-C in mitochondria,up-regulated the expression of pro-apoptotic protein caspase-3 and caspase-9,and induced AST apoptosis.Conclusion Propofol induces the apoptosis of astrocytes in neonatal rat cortex in vitro,which may be related to the activation of mitochondria apoptosis pathway induced by mitochondrial cyt-C release.