title: Attenuation of intestinal ischemic injury and shock by physostigmine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, protection in shock (hemorrhagic or septic) by physostigmine has been demonstrated. Here, we studied the protective effect of intravenous infusion of physostigmine in a rat model of severe intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and shock.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mesenteric I/R was induced in male Wistar rats by occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery (90 min) and subsequent reperfusion (120 min). Physostigmine (30 or 70 μg/kg) was administered as bolus injection before induction of I/R. One additional group received, subsequent to the bolus of 30-μg/kg physostigmine, a continuous infusion of 60-μg/kg physostigmine till the end of the experiment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Physostigmine at a dose of 70 μg/kg administered before I/R significantly decreased the macroscopically and microscopically visible intestinal damage. In addition to and presumably as a result of this local protective effect, physostigmine prevented shock induced by reperfusion of the ischemically injured intestine. Lower doses (30 μg/kg) or continuous application of physostigmine were less advantageous.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physostigmine is clearly protective in intestinal I/R injury and shock. However, for this purpose, physostigmine has to be applied at a dose (70 μg/kg), that is, approximately double the amount of the presently used clinical dose.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany. Electronic address: rabea.verhaegh@uni-duisburg-essen.de.
authors.forename: Rabea
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Verhaegh
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Petrat
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: de Groot
mesh_terms: D061605:Administration, Intravenous; D000818:Animals; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D017538:Mesenteric Artery, Superior; D010830:Physostigmine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012769:Shock / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D010830:Physostigmine
keywords: Inflammation; Injury; Intestine; Ischemia; Physostigmine; Rats; Reperfusion; Shock