Beneficial effects of iloprost cardioplegia in ischemic arrest in isolated working rat heart

Abstract

To determine whether the prostacyclin analog iloprost plays a beneficial role in crystalloid cardioplegia in isolated working rat hearts, 20 isolated rat hearts were studied after sustaining 90 min of cardioplegic arrest under hypothermia (20°C). The findings indicated that thromboxane A 2 (TXA 2) levels in coronary effluent were increased during reperfusion. Iloprost (12 nm/l) inhibited the release of TXA 2 and improved the recovery of cardiac hemodynamics after ischemia. These data demonstrated that cardiac-derived TXA 2 appeared to mediate reperfusion injury after prolonged aortic clamp or cardiac transplantation and iloprost cardioplegic infusion resulted in the inhibition of release of cardiac-derived TXA 2 and in a better preservation of cardiac function after ischemic arrest.