title: Experience with calcium antagonists nitrendipine, diltiazem, and verapamil and beta 2-agonist salbutamol in salvaging ischemic skin flaps in rabbits.
abstract: This study investigated the efficacy of selected agents in the salvage of experimental skin flaps in rabbits after 21 hours of 25 degrees C ischemia. Calcium channel antagonists nitrendipine, diltiazem, and verapamil increased ischemic skin flap survival in rabbits from 33.3% for buffered saline infused controls to 71.4% (P less than 0.05), 71.4% (P less than 0.05), and 50.0% (not significant) respectively. The beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist salbutamol produced an increase in survival to 64.3%, which narrowly missed statistical significance. All four test agents invoked a vasodilatory response (greatest for nitrendipine, diltiazem, and salbutamol), a slight fall in blood pressure, and a small increase in heart rate. It is concluded that the vasodilatory response in the microcirculation of the ischemic flap helped to minimize the risk of occlusion due to thrombosis or cell sludging during reperfusion, thus leading to improved flap survival.
authors.affiliation: Microsurgery Research Centre, St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawabata
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Coe
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Angus
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: O'Brien
mesh_terms: D000420:Albuterol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004110:Diltiazem / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007511:Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009336:Necrosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D009568:Nitrendipine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011817:Rabbits; D015424:Reperfusion; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000473:pathology; D014700:Verapamil / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D009568:Nitrendipine; D014700:Verapamil; D004110:Diltiazem; D000420:Albuterol