title: Iloprost reduces myocardial edema in a rat model of myocardial ischemia reperfusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Myocardial ischemia severely reduces myocyte longevity and function. Extensive interstitial edema and cell damage occur as a result of myocardial reperfusion injury. Current therapies are directed at prevention of ischemia-induced damage to cardiac tissue. Iloprost is a novel pharmaceutical agent for the treatment of ischemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty rats were segregated into four experimental groups. The procedure control group consisted of four rats undergoing a sham operation. The remaining 16 rats were divided into two equal groups. The first group (control group) received a continuous intravenous infusion of physiological serum immediately prior to the procedure. Iloprost was administered by a continuous intravenous infusion into the right jugular vein at an infusion rate of 100 ng/kg/min for 30 minutes prior to reperfusion in the experimental group (study group). Following the infusion treatments, ligation of the left coronary artery was conducted for 30 minutes to induce myocardial ischemia. The rats were euthanized 24 hours after reperfusion and cardiac tissue was harvested from all specimens for analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histological examination revealed three myocardial tissue specimens with grade II damage and five myocardial tissue specimens with grade III reperfusion injury in the control group. However, the study group consisted of two grade III myocardial tissue specimens, five grade II myocardial tissue specimens and one grade I myocardial tissue specimen. Moreover, a statistically significant reduction in myocardial edema was observed in the study group (p=0.022).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support the hypothesis that iloprost enhances protection against cardiac ischemia reperfusion injury. This protective effect may be associated with vasodilation, antioxidant or anti-edema mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Medical School of Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caliskan
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yavuz
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Karahan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yazici
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Guclu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demirtas
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mavitas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004489:Edema, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016285:Iloprost / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D016285:Iloprost
keywords: anti-edema efficacy; cardioprotection; iloprost; myocardial ischemia; reperfusion