Role of the parasympathetic nervous system in cardioprotection by remote ischemic preconditioning

DONATO M; BUCHHOLZ B; RODRÍGUEZ M; INSERTE J; GARCÍA-DORADO D; GELPI RJ

EXPERIMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY.

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2012 vol. 98

0958-0670

This investigationwas designed to determine the participation of the vagus nerve andmuscarinic receptors in the remote ischaemic preconditioning (rIPC) mechanism.NewZealand rabbitswere anaesthetized, and the femoral artery was dissected. After 30 min ofmonitoring, the hearts were isolated and subjected to 30 min of global no-flow ischaemia and 180 min of reperfusion (nonrIPC group). The ventricular function was evaluated, considering the left ventricular developed pressure and the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. In the rIPC group, the rabbits were subjected to three cycles of hindlimb ischaemia (5 min) and reperfusion (5 min), and the same protocol as that used in non-rIPC group was then repeated. In order to evaluate the afferent neural pathway during the rIPC protocol we used two groups, one in which the femoral and sciatic nerveswere sectioned and the other inwhich the spinal cord was sectioned (T9?T10 level). To study the efferent neural pathway during the rIPC protocol, the vagus nerve was sectioned and, in another group, atropine was administered. The effect of vagal stimulation was also evaluated. An infarct size of 40.8±3.1% was obtained in the non-rIPC group, whereas in rIPC group the infarct size decreased to 16.4±3.5% (P