title: Aprikalim a potassium adenosine triphosphate channel opener reduces neurologic injury in a rabbit model of spinal cord ischemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Potassium adenosine triphosphate (KATP) channel openers have been involved in the enhancement of ischemic tolerance in various tissues. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effects of aprikalim, a specific KATP channel opener, on spinal cord ischemic injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-four rabbits were randomly assigned to three groups: group 1 (n = 18, sham operation), group 2 (n = 18, 30 min of normothermic aortic cross-clamping) and group 3 (n = 18, aprikalim 100 μg/kg was administered 15 min before 30 min of normothermic aortic cross-clamping). Neurologic evaluation was performed according to the modified Tarlov scale. Six animals from each group were sacrificed at 24, 48 and 168 h postoperatively. The lumbar spinal cords were harvested and examined histologically. The motor neurons were counted and the histologic lesions were scored (0-3, 3: normal).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group 3 (aprikalim group) had better Tarlov scores compared to group 2 at all-time points (P < 0.025). The histologic changes were proportional to the Tarlov scores and group 3 had better functional outcome as compared to group 2 at 168 h (number of neurons: 21.2 ± 4.9 vs. 8.0 ± 2.7, P < 0.001 and histologic score: 1.67 ± 1.03 vs. 0.50 ± 0.55, P = 0.03). Although aprikalim exhibited improved effect on clinical and histologic neurologic outcome when compared to normothermic spinal cord ischemia, animals in group 3 had worse Tarlov score, reduced number of motor neurons and worse histologic score when compared to group 1 (sham operation) at 168 h (P = 0.003, P = 0.001 and P = 0.019 respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aprikalim reduces the severity of spinal cord ischemic injury in a rabbit model of spinal cord ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Attikon University Hospital Center, Rimini 1, Chaidari, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasileios A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Lozos
authors.forename: Ioannis K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Toumpoulis
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Agrogiannis
authors.forename: Evangelos J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Giamarellos-Bourboulis
authors.forename: Themistocles P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Chamogeorgakis
authors.forename: Ioannis K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Rizos
authors.forename: Efstratios S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Patsouris
authors.forename: Constantine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Anagnostopoulos
authors.forename: Chris K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Rokkas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons; D009142:Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010847:Picolines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000819:agonists*; D011714:Pyrans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011817:Rabbits; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D020760:Spinal Cord Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010847:Picolines; D015221:Potassium Channels; D011714:Pyrans; C061043:aprikalim