Beneficial effects of iloprost cardioplegia in ischemic arrest in isolated working rat heart.

To determine whether the prostacyclin analog iloprost plays a beneficial role in crystalloid cardioplegia in isolated working rat hearts, 20 isolated rat hearts were studied after sustaining 90 min of cardioplegic arrest under hypothermia (20 degrees C). The findings indicated that thromboxane A2 (TXA2) levels in coronary effluent were increased during reperfusion. Iloprost (12 nm/l) inhibited the release of TXA2 and improved the recovery of cardiac hemodynamics after ischemia. These data demonstrated that cardiac-derived TXA2 appeared to mediate reperfusion injury after prolonged aortic clamp or cardiac transplantation and iloprost cardioplegic infusion resulted in the inhibition of release of cardiac-derived TXA2 and in a better preservation of cardiac function after ischemic arrest.