title: Calcium antagonists improve cardiac mechanical performance after thermal trauma.
abstract: Burn trauma initiates a pathophysiologic cascade, which includes cardiac dysfunction and intramyocyte calcium accumulation. This study examined the hypothesis that therapeutic interventions which limit intracellular cardiac Ca(2+) accumulation after burn trauma will improve cardiac function. Guinea pigs were anesthetized (methoxyflurane), burned over 43% of total body surface area, and fluid resuscitated (FR) for 24 h. Burn guinea pigs were randomly divided into three groups: Group 1, FR alone, Group 2, FR plus dantrolene (10 mg/kg body wt, IV, 30 min, 8 and 22 h postburn), a drug which inhibits the Ca(2+) release channel (ryanodine receptor) of the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum, and Group 3, FR plus diltiazem (0.20-0.22 mg/kg given IV as a slow infusion over 6 h postburn), a drug which specifically blocks Ca(2+) slow channels; sham burn guinea pigs were given vehicle (Group 4), dantrolene (Group 5), or diltiazem (Group 6) as described above (respective controls). Cardiac dysfunction was impaired in fluid-treated burns (Group 1) compared to sham burns (Group 4) as indicated by reduced developed left ventricular pressure (LVP) (86 +/- 2 vs 52 +/- 3 mm Hg, P < 0.05), rate of LVP rise, (+dP/dt max, 1379 +/- 64 vs 909 +/- 44 mm Hg/s, P < 0.05), and LVP fall (-dP/dt max, 1184 +/- 31 vs 881 +/- 40 mm Hg/s, P < 0.05), and time to peak pressure (110 +/- 2 vs 102 +/- 2 ms, P < 0.05). In addition, [Ca(2+)](i) rose in cardiomyocytes harvested from fluid-treated burns (Group 1, 307 +/- 29 nM) compared to vehicle-treated controls (Group 4, 152 +/- 6 nM, P < 0.05). Neither calcium antagonist altered ventricular function or [Ca(2+)](i) in sham burns (Groups 5 and 6). In contrast, antagonists given after burn injury reduced cardiomyocyte [Ca(2+)](i) (Group 2, dantrolene-treated burns: 196 +/- 8 nM, and Group 3, diltiazem treated burns: 216 +/- 8 nM) and improved cardiac performance compared to that measured in burns given FR alone. Our data suggest that calcium antagonists given after burn trauma restored intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis, decreased cardiac cell injury, and improved cardiac contractile function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75235-9160, USA.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Horton
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maass
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Giroir
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002118:Calcium / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D003620:Dantrolene / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004110:Diltiazem / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D012508:Sarcolemma / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004110:Diltiazem; D003620:Dantrolene; D002118:Calcium