title: Effect of desmopressin on vein graft patency in a microvascular model.
abstract: Desmopressin acetate decreases blood loss after cardiac surgery by activating platelets. We studied whether this effect was detrimental to small-caliber vein grafts in rats. Thirty minutes before femoral artery grafting with 0.75-mm-diameter reverse autogenous saphenous vein grafts, 20 rats received desmopressin acetate intravenously at 1.0 micrograms/kg over 10 minutes, and 20 control rats received normal saline intravenously over 10 minutes. In each group, 10 rats received a 6-mm-long graft and 10 an 18-mm-long graft. Graft patency was evaluated at 20 minutes, 24 hours, and 30 days. Intimal thickening was assessed by light and scanning electron microscopy. At 30 days, 9 short grafts and 8 long grafts in the desmopressin-treated group were patent, whereas only 8 short control grafts and only 6 long control grafts were patent. Intimal thickening and platelet deposition were the same in both groups. These data show no detrimental effects of desmopressin acetate on saphenous vein graft patency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC.
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Kon
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Cordell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000473:pathology; D003894:Deamino Arginine Vasopressin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D008833:Microcirculation; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D013997:Time Factors; D014654:Vascular Patency / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D003894:Deamino Arginine Vasopressin