title: Endothelin-1 elevates regional cerebral perfusion during prolonged ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest in pigs.
abstract: Since adrenaline (epinephrine) also has negative effects during and after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) a non-adrenergic vasoconstrictor like endothelin might be an alternative to increase vital organ blood flow. We studied the effect of different doses of endothelin-1 compared with adrenaline on the ability to resuscitate, cerebral and myocardial blood flow (MBF) in a closed chest cardiac arrest pig model. After 5 min of ventricular fibrillation, CPR with a ventilator and a mechanical compression device was started. At 10 min, 31 pigs were randomized to receive a single dose of endothelin-1 50, 100 or 200 microg or repeated doses of adrenaline 0.04 mg kg(-1) or saline every 3 min. After 25 min, the pigs were defibrillated to achieve restoration of spontaneous circulation. Blood flow was measured with the fluorescent microsphere method. In animals receiving endothelin-1 50, 100 and 200 microg the cerebral blood flow (CBF) increased from median 28 (25th; 75th quartile: 16; 40), 32 (15; 48) and 17 (4; 65) to 36 (31; 54), 47 (39; 57) and 63 (35; 83) ml min(-1) per 100 g, respectively, 6 min after drug administration (P<0.05 endothelin-1 50 microg vs. Control, P<0.01 endothelin-1 100 and 200 microg vs. Control). At the same time CBF decreased in the control and adrenaline group from 36 (21; 41) and 39 (15; 50) to 12 (2; 25) and 24 (15; 26) ml min(-1) per 100 g, respectively, (P<0.05 adrenaline vs. endothelin-1 200 microg). There was no difference in MBF between the treatment groups despite a higher coronary perfusion pressure (CoPP) in the endothelin-1 groups. Restoration of spontaneous circulation could be only achieved in the endothelin-1 50 microg (3 of 7; 43%) and 100 microg (5 of 7; 71%) group. This study suggests that endothelin-1 enhances CBF during CPR better than adrenaline and increases resuscitation success.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Vienna, Allgemeines Krankenhaus der Stadt Wien, Währinger Gürtel, 18-20 (6D), Austria.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holzer
authors.forename: Fritz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sterz
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Behringer
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oschatz
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kofler
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Eisenburger
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kittler
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Konschitzky
authors.forename: Anton N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Laggner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply*; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004309:Double Bind Interaction; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D013552:Swine; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D004837:Epinephrine