title: Remifentanil mimics cardioprotective effect of ischemic preconditioning via protein kinase C activation in open chest of rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether the protective effect of remifentanil preconditioning (RPC) on postischemic hearts is mediated by protein kinase (PKC) activation in comparison with ischemic preconditioning (IPC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized and their chests were opened. The experiment was performed with chelerythrine (CHE, 2 mg/kg), GF109203X (0.05 mg/kg) protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors administered before RPC (remifentanil 6 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1) x 3 cycle) or IPC, respectively. Infarct size (IS), as a percentage of the area at risk (AAR), was determined by triphenyltetrazolium staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In groups subjected to IPC and RPC the IS/AAR were significantly reduced (IS/AAR from 52.7%+/-5.5% to 12.9%+/-3.4%, P<0.01 vs CON and 16.2%+/-6.4%, P<0.01 vs CON), respectively. CHE and GF, both PKC inhibitors, administered 5 min before RPC or IPC completely abolished the cardioprotective effect of RPC (IS/AAR: CHE+RPC 51.2%+/-5.0%, GF+RPC 53.6%+/-6.1%, P>0.05 vs CON) or IPC (CHE+IPC 53.7%+/-4.3%, GF+IPC 54.1%+/-6.2%, P>0.05 vs CON). The difference was not significant in any of the hemodynamic parameters between control and treatment groups during ischemia and reperfusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Remifentanil confers myocardial protection against ischemic injury through a mechanism that is similar to IPC and involves PKC activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhi-wu
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Girwin
authors.forename: Tak-ming
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids; D000818:Animals; D053119:Benzophenanthridines; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D019157:Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial; D008297:Male; D008301:Maleimides / Q000494:pharmacology; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D010617:Phenanthridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000077208:Remifentanil
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D053119:Benzophenanthridines; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D007211:Indoles; D008301:Maleimides; D010617:Phenanthridines; D010880:Piperidines; C016299:chelerythrine; D011493:Protein Kinase C; C070515:bisindolylmaleimide I; D000077208:Remifentanil