title: Calcitonin gene-related peptide-induced preconditioning improves preservation with cardioplegia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our recent work has shown that calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) may play an important role in mediation of ischemic preconditioning. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that CGRP-induced preconditioning protects against myocardial damage after prolonged cardioplegic arrest in isolated rat hearts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six groups were studied: the control, ischemic preconditioning, and CGRP-pretreated groups for both 4- and 8-hour hypothermic ischemia. All hearts were arrested using St. Thomas Hospital cardioplegia, and then reperfused with normothermic Krebs-Henseleit solution for 60 minutes after the 4- or 8-hour hypothermic ischemic period. Hearts were subjected to two cycles of 5-minute ischemia and 10-minute reperfusion in the ischemic preconditioning group. In the CGRP-pretreated group, Krebs-Henseleit solution containing CGRP (5 x 10(-9) mol/L) was substituted for the ischemic period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 30 minutes of reperfusion after 4-hour storage, left ventricular pressure (mm Hg) and its first derivative (dp/dtmax, mm Hg/s) in the control, ischemic preconditioning, and CGRP groups were 65.2 +/- 5.93 and 1,170 +/- 119, 94.13 +/- 4.93 and 1,825 +/- 145.83, and 85.47 +/- 4.17 and 1,900 +/- 123.13, respectively (p < 0.01). After 8-hour storage, left ventricular pressure (mm Hg) and dp/dtmax (mm Hg/s) in the same groups were 51.07 +/- 5.83 and 815 +/- 107.17, 83.47 +/- 6.54 and 1,480 +/- 120.91, and 84.8 +/- 8.49 and 1,396 +/- 126.16 (p < 0.01). Ischemic preconditioning and CGRP-induced preconditioning also significantly reduced the release of myocardial enzymes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present studies suggest that ischemic preconditioning protects against ischemia-reperfusion injury even after 8 hours of hypothermic preservation in isolated rat hearts, and that CGRP exerts preconditioning-like cardioprotection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiosurgery, Xiang Ya Hospital, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: E X
authors.initials: EX
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: S X
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006324:Heart Arrest, Induced; D006339:Heart Rate; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D019157:Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology; D009926:Organ Preservation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide