Levosimendan Reduces Lung Injury in a Canine Model of Cardiopulmonary Bypass

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To explore the lung-protective effect of levosimendan (LS) during cardiopulmonary bypass in a canine model by determining the wet/dry weight (W/D) ratio of lung tissue, malonaldehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) concentrations, and performing a histological evaluation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two canines were divided randomly into four groups and underwent a routine aortic cross-clamping cardiopulmonary bypass procedure for 1 h, followed by recovery for 2 h. Animals were handled as follows: group C (means control group), no special treatment after aortic cross clamping; group P (means pulmonary artery perfusion group), pulmonary artery perfusion with cold oxygenated blood after aortic cross clamping; group LSIV (means intravenous injection of LS group), intravenous injection of LS (65 µg/kg) before thoracotomy, and the rest of the procedure was identical to the control group; group LPS (means pulmonary perfusion with LS group), pulmonary perfusion with cold oxygenated blood combined with LS (65 µg/kg) after aortic cross clamping. Lung tissues were removed and subjected to evaluation of pathological alterations, W/D ratio and MDA and SOD concentrations. RESULTS: In group C, the W/D ratio and MDA concentration were higher, while the SOD concentrations were lower (p<0.05). Compared with groups P and LSIV, the MDA concentration was lower in group LPS, while that of SOD was higher (p<0.05); Light and electron microscopy indicated that LS intervention reduced impairment of lung tissues. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that LS plays an important role in protecting lung tissues.

The lung protective effect of levosimendan during cardiopulmonary bypass in canine model / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective To explore lung protection effect of levosimendan(LS) during cardiopulmonary bypass in canine model by ratio between dry and wet (W/D) lung tissue,concentrations of malonaldehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and alterations of histology.Methods A total of 32 canines were divided into 4 groups at random with the procedure of myocardial blocking for 1 hour and then recovering for 2 hours.Animals in 4 groups were handled as following:No any special treatment after myocardial blocking in control group(group C).Lung perfusion was performaned with cold oxygenated blood after myocardial blocking in experiment 1 group(group P).LS(65 μg/kg) was injected intravenously before thoracotomy in experiment 2 group(group LSIV) and remaining procedure was same to the control one.Combined with LS (65 μg/kg),lungperfusion was performaned with cold oxygenated blood after myocardial blocking in experiment 3 group(group LSP).Right lung tissue of canines was taken immediately after the study for observing pathological alterations and measuring the concentrations of MDA and SOD through corresponding procedure.Results Compared with group C,the ratios of W/D and the concentrations of MDA were lower significantly,while those of SOD were higher significantly(P ＜ 0.05).Compared with group P and LSIV,the concentration of MDA was lower significantly,while that of SOD was higher significantly(P ＜ 0.05).There was no significant difference between group P and LSIV(P ＞0.05).Less impairment of lung tissue was found after LS intervention by light and electric microscope.Conclusion LS plays an important role in protecting lung tissue,based on founding in canine model,with decreasing ration of W/D and concentration of MDA and increasing that of SOD by both intravenous injection and lung perfusion.