Pharmacological preconditioning: comparison of desflurane, sevoflurane, isoflurane and halothane in rabbit myocardium.
BACKGROUND
Recent investigations showed that isoflurane can induce pharmacological preconditioning. The present study aimed to compare the potency of four different halogenated anaesthetics to induce preconditioning.


METHODS
Anaesthetized open-chest rabbits underwent 30 min of coronary artery occlusion followed by 3 h of reperfusion. Before this, rabbits were randomized into one of five groups and underwent a treatment period consisting of either no intervention for 45 min (control; n = 10), or 30 min of 1 MAC halogenated anaesthetic inhalation followed by 15 min of washout. End-tidal concentrations of halogenated agents were 3.7% for sevoflurane (n = 11), 1.4% for halothane (n = 9), 2.0% for isoflurane (n = 11), and 8.9% for desflurane (n = 11). Area at risk and infarct size were assessed by blue dye injection and tetrazolium chloride staining.


RESULTS
Mean (SD) infarct size was 54 (18)% of the risk area in untreated controls and 40 (18)% in the sevoflurane group (P > 0.05, ns). In contrast, mean infarct size was significantly smaller in the halothane, isoflurane, and desflurane groups: 26 (18)%, 32 (18)% and 16 (17)%, respectively (P < 0.05 vs control).


CONCLUSIONS
Halothane, isoflurane and desflurane induced pharmacological preconditioning, whereas sevoflurane had no significant effect. In this preparation, desflurane was the most effective agent at preconditioning the myocardium against ischaemia.
Piriou
V
V
Service d'Anesthésie Réanimation, Hôpital cardio-vasculaire Louis Pradel, Avenue Doyen Lépine, F-69500 Lyon Bron, France.
Chiari
P
P
Lhuillier
F
F
Bastien
O
O
Loufoua
J
J
Raisky
O
O
David
J S
JS
Ovize
M
M
Lehot
J J
JJ
D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D000077335:Desflurane; D005260:Female; D006221:Halothane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019157:Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial / Q000379:methods*; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008738:Methyl Ethers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation; D000077149:Sevoflurane
D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D000077149:Sevoflurane; D000077335:Desflurane; D007530:Isoflurane; D006221:Halothane