ISCHEMIC PRECONDITIONING: GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Berrin GÜNAYDIN*, Iclal ÇAKICI**°

*Gazi University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anaesthesiology and Gazi University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology, Ankara, TURKEY.
**Gazi University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology, Ankara, TURKEY.
°Corresponding Author

Summary :
Ischemic preconditioning provides powerful protection against ischemic necrosis, arrhythmias and post-ischemic myocardial dysfunction in a wide variety of animal species. This transient protection returns several hours later after preconditioning.There are various studies demonstrating that preconditioning also exists in humans: Increased tolerance to repetitive balloon inflations during angioplasty, beneficial effects of preinfarction angina, tolerance development in patients to ischemia induced by repetitive exercise or pacing, preservation of myocardial ATP by intermittent aortic cross-clamping during cardiothoracic surgery and observation of consistent results with preconditioning in in vitro isolated human trabecular muscle and ventricular myocytes. In future, preconditioning or preconditioning mimetic agents could be applied in cardiopulmonary bypass, heart transplantation, angina and myocardial infarction and might result in better preservation of the heart.

Key words:
Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardium.