title: Calcium channel blockers reduce the effects of cigarette smoking on peripheral nerve ischemia/reperfusion injury.
abstract: The efficacy of calcium channel blockers in reducing the effects of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in animals subjected to cigarette smoke was examined. In this study, 40 rats were divided into 4 groups. Groups A, B, and C received a controlled cigarette smoke exposure for 14 days, following which all animals underwent a standardized sciatic nerve I/R procedure. One sciatic nerve was isolated, and the femoral artery was occluded for 3 hours followed by reperfusion. Group B received verapamil (20 mg/kg/d). Group C received nifedipine (10 mg/kg/d). Mean sciatic function index (SFI) was significantly higher in nonsmoking than smoking animals, and the sciatic function index of group B (verapamil) and group C (nifedipine) was significantly greater than group A (smoking). Mean malondialdehyde at day 28 in group A was 0.96 ± 0.14 compared with 0.74 ± 0.11 in the nonsmoking group (P = 0.03), and the mean malondialdehyde in the nifedipine group was significantly greater than in group A (P = 0.05). Histologic injury scores were not significantly different among groups exposed to smoke. Smoking was associated with slower recovery following peripheral nerve I/R injury, but calcium channel blockers were shown to ameliorate these effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536-0284, USA. brink2@email.uky.edu
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rinker
authors.forename: Betsy F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: Ashley R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Stoker
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Milan
authors.forename: Peter T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003367:Cotinine / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014700:Verapamil / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D014700:Verapamil; D009543:Nifedipine; D003367:Cotinine