title: Liver ischemia preconditions the heart against ischemia-reperfusion arrhythmias.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to examine the hypothesis that an antiarrhythmic effect might be obtained by ischemic preconditioning of the liver, and also to characterize the potential underlying mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Wistar rats were anesthetized by thiopental sodium (50 mg/kg, IP) followed by IV injection of heparin (250 IU). Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) was induced by 3 cycles of 5 min liver ischemia followed by 5 min of reperfusion. The hearts were excised within 5 min after the final cycle of preconditioning and perfused using Langendorff's system. The isolated perfused hearts were subjected to 30 min global ischemia followed by 90 min reperfusion. The myocardial arrhythmias induced by ischemia- reperfusion (I/R) were determined in accordance with the guidelines of Lambeth Conventions. The potential role of KATP channels on RIPC was assessed by injection of glibenclamide (nonselective KATP blocker) or 5-hydroxydecanoate (mitochondrial KATP blocker) on rats 30 and 15 min before induction of RIPC in the liver, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hepatic remote preconditioning of the heart significantly (P<0.0001) prevented the incidence of myocardial arrhythmias induced by I/R in the perfused hearts (5.33±1.54 vs. 32.33±6.44,). However, the protective effects of remote preconditioning was significantly (P<0.01) abolished by the KATP blocker, glibenclamide (25.5±4.9 vs. 5.33±1.54,).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatic RIPC may prevent the arrhythmias induced by I/R in the isolated perfused hearts via KATP channels.
authors: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Mohammad-Foad
authors: MF
authors: Noorbakhsh
authors: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Hossein-Ali
authors: HA
authors: Arab
authors: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
authors: Hamid-Reza
authors: HR
authors: Kazerani
keywords: Ischemia-reperfusion arrhythmia; Isolated heart; Liver; Remote ischemic; preconditioning