Nonselective beta-blocking agent improves the outcome of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a rat model.
OBJECTIVE
Postresuscitation myocardial dysfunction has been recognized as a leading cause of early death after initial successful resuscitation. Recent experimental and clinical studies have indicated that the beta-adrenergic effect of epinephrine significantly increases the severity of postresuscitation myocardial dysfunction. The fact that beta-adrenergic stimulation increases myocardial oxygen consumption during ventricular fibrillation is an important implication with respect to both the exogenous in terms of pharmacologic interventions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the endogenous as the result of intense sympathetic activation of cardiovascular collapse. Earlier experimental evidence has indicated that oxygenation improved by beta-blockade and beta1-blocking agent did offset the adverse effect of epinephrine. This prompted us to investigate the effect of beta-blockade on both exogenous and endogenous beta stimulation in an established rat model.


METHODS
Prospective, randomized, controlled study.


METHODS
Animal research laboratory.


METHODS
Male Sprague-Dawley rats.


METHODS
In this series of studies, propranolol was administrated before ventricular fibrillation as a pretreatment combined with epinephrine treatment during precordial compression and then alone in a prolonged cardiac arrest setting.


RESULTS
Improved postresuscitation myocardial dysfunction (cardiac index, dP/dt40, -dP/dt) was observed with propranolol, a nonselective beta-adrenergic blocker, in pretreated animals such that the beneficial effects were associated with better postresuscitation survival.


CONCLUSIONS
Nonselective beta-blockade improved the outcome of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a rat model and deserves further evaluation in settings of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Huang
Lei
L
Institute of Critical Care Medicine, Palm Springs, CA, USA.
Weil
Max Harry
MH
Cammarata
Gianluca
G
Sun
Shijie
S
Tang
Wanchun
W
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D004285:Dogs; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011433:Propranolol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D011433:Propranolol