Does adenosine pharmacologically precondition human myocardium during coronary bypass surgery?
AIM: Adenosine (Ado) triggers ischemic preconditioning. We investigated whether Ado provides additional myocardial protection in patients during intermittent aortic cross-clamping (IAC) bypass surgery. METHODS: The placebo group was made of 15 male of 66+/-8 years while the Ado group was made of 19 male of 65+/-10 years. The patients of the Ado group had a 3-vessel heart disease and were treated with elective surgery. With the aortic cross-clamping, Ado or vehicle were infused over 10 min at systemic pressure together with sufficient blood via the aortic root. Blood samples before anaesthesia and onset of ECC, 1 hour after end of surgery, and on day 1 and 2 post-surgery to assess CK-MB and troponin I were performed. Hemodynamic measures (heart rate, left ventricular pressure, max/min pressure rise, central venous pressure) before installation and 15 min after completion of the coronary artery bypass. Different ECGs for electrophysiological analyses were performed. RESULTS: Hemodynamic
