Investigations on the new free radical scavenger polynitroxyl-albumin to prevent ischemia and reperfusion injury after orthotopic heart transplantation in the pig model.
OBJECTIVE
Nitroxides have strong antioxidant capacity but their effectiveness is limited by their rapid intracellular inactivation. Polynitroxyl-Albumin (PNA) is capable of regenerating inactivated nitroxide. We tested the effect of PNA against reperfusion injury in heart transplantation.


METHODS
Pig hearts were transplanted orthotopically. In the control group (n=9) reperfusion was performed without reperfusion modifications. In the experimental group (n=10) 1 ml/kg PNA was given before cross-clamp release.


RESULTS
Hemodynamic performance was impaired after transplantation in both groups without significant intergroup differences. Plasma malonedialdehyde levels were significantly diminished in the PNA group as compared to the controls. CK-MB levels in both groups were increased within the first 2 h of reperfusion without significant intergroup differences. In contrast, there were found significant higher values of myocardial specific lactate dehydrogenase (LD1) in the controls versus PNA group.


CONCLUSIONS
PNA was able to reduce lipid peroxidation and attenuate free radical activity. Contractile dysfunction could no be improved, indicating that (a) the radical scavenging effect was to weak or (b) other mechanisms than free oxygen radicals are responsible for myocardial damage in this experimental model.
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Hugstetter Strasse 55, D-79106, Freiburg, Germany. martin@ch11.ukl.uni-freiburg.de
J
J
Martin
G
G
Lutter
K
K
Sarai
M
M
Senn-Grossberger
N
N
Takahashi
J
J
Bitu-Moreno
J
J
Haberstroh
F
F
Beyersdorf
D000418:Albumins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011336:Probability; D012016:Reference Values; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015996:Survival Rate; D013552:Swine
D000418:Albumins; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides; C117059:polynitroxyl-albumin