title: Bradykinin preconditioning preserves coronary microvascular reactivity during cardioplegia-reperfusion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alterations of microvascular reactivity reduce myocardial perfusion after ischemic cardioplegia. We hypothesized that bradykinin preconditioning (BKPC) would preserve endothelium-dependent microvascular responses and improve myocardial function after cardioplegic ischemia-reperfusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rabbit hearts were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit buffer (KHB). The hearts were arrested for 60 minutes with moderately cold (25 degrees C) crystalloid cardioplegia (MCCP, n = 8) or with cold (0 degrees to 4 degrees C) crystalloid cardioplegia (CCCP) (n = 6). The BKPC hearts received a 10-minute coronary infusion of 10(-8) M BK-enriched KHB, followed by a 5-minute recovery period, and then were arrested for 60 minutes with MCCP (BKPC + MCCP, n = 8) or with CCCP (BKPC + CCCP, n = 6). The hearts were reperfused for 30 minutes with KHB. Six control hearts were perfused with KHB for 90 minutes without cardioplegia-ischemia. Left ventricle performance was measured, and in vitro relaxation responses of precontracted coronary arterioles (internal diameter, 80 to 150 mum) were obtained in a pressurized no-flow state.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ischemic arrest with MCCP or CCCP markedly reduced endothelium-dependent relaxation to adenosine 5'-diphosphate, substance P, and calcium ionophore (A23187). Both MCCP and CCCP significantly enhanced contractile responses to U46619 (10(-7) M), a thromboxane A2 analogue, compared with control (p < 0.05). In contrast, BKPC significantly improved the recovery of endothelium-dependent relaxation to adenosine 5'-diphosphate, substance P, and A23187 compared with MCCP or CCCP, respectively. BKPC reduced the contractile responses to U46619 compared with MCCP or CCCP. BKPC also improved postischemic performance compared with MCCP or CCCP alone (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BKPC preserves endothelium-dependent microvascular responses and prevents the hypercontractility to U46619. These effects may provide increased coronary perfusion and prevent arteriolar spasm after open heart surgery. They suggest that BK preconditions the coronary microvasculature during cardiovascular surgery.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Cesario
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: Jianyi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Frank W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Sellke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001920:Bradykinin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006324:Heart Arrest, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D019157:Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial / Q000379:methods*; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D001920:Bradykinin