Diazoxide Attenuates Ischemic Myocardial Injury in a Porcine Model

Background: We hypothesized that diazoxide, a mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channel opener, has cardioprotective effects during acute myocardial ischemia. Diazoxide is suggested to act through protein kinase Ce (PKC epsilon) activation. Methods: Twelve piglets were randomly assigned to receive intravenous infusion of diazoxide (3.5 mg/kg) with solvent or only solvent (6 animals per group) before cardiac ischemia. Myocardial ischemia was induced by occluding the left circumflex artery (LCX) for 40 minutes. The reperfusion and follow-up period lasted for three hours. Throughout the experiment hemodynamic measurements and blood samples were collected, and after the follow-up period the hearts were harvested for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as well as histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses. Results: TEM showed less ischemic damage on a cellular level in the diazoxide group (P = .004) than in the control group. Creatinine kinase MB levels (Pt*g = .030) were lower, and oxygen consumption (Pt*g = .037) and delivery (Pg = .038) were higher in the diazoxide group compared to the controls. Conclusion: Diazoxide preserves myocardial cellular structure and cellular function, and thus it may have benefits in treating ischemic myocardial injury.Peer reviewe

Exploring Spinal Cord Protection by Remote Ischemic Preconditioning : An Experimental Study

Background. Paraplegia is one of the most severe complications occurring after the repair of thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms. Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) has been shown to mitigate neurologic damage, and this study assessed its efficacy in preventing spinal cord ischemia. Methods. The study randomized 16 female pigs into an RIPC group (n = 8) and a control group (n = 8). The RIPC group underwent four cycles of 5-minute ischemia-reperfusion episodes by intermittent occlusion of the left iliac artery. All animals underwent systematic closure of the left subclavian artery and segmental arteries of the descending thoracic aorta to the level of diaphragm. Motor-evoked potential monitoring was performed in both hind limbs. Continuous electrocardiogram and hemodynamics were monitored, and pulmonary artery blood samples were collected. A neurologic assessment was performed 6 hours after the procedure. The thoracic and lumbar portions of the spinal cord were collected for histologic and immunohistochemical analysis. Results. The bilateralmotor-evoked potential amplitude responses were higher in the RIPC group (p <0.05) than in the control group; the difference was detected already before spinal cord ischemia. Paraplegia occurred in 1 control animal. Immunohistochemical total scores of antioxidant response regulator nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 were better in the RIPC group (11.0; range, 8.5 to 14.0) than in the control group (5.2; range, 1.0 to 9.0; p = 0.023). Conclusions. RIPC induces electrophysiologic changes in the central nervous system that may confer spinal cord protection extending the resistance to ischemia. The significantly higher nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 scores suggest better neuronal cell protection against oxidative stress in the RIPC group. (C) 2017 by The Society of Thoracic SurgeonsPeer reviewe