Anesthesia & Clinical Research
Open Access

Abstract

Effects of Lidocaine on Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in In vivo Rabbit Hearts

Uno Imaizumi, Munetaka Furuya, Shoko Itakura, Hitoshi Yui, Tsuyoshi Tagawa, Shigeki Sakuraba, Hirofumi Arisaka and Kazu-ichi Yoshida

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the cardioprotective effects of lidocaine administered at three different timings, as indexes of hemodynamics, infarct size, antiarrhythmic action, and changing activation time by electrocardiogram in in vivo rabbit hearts. Methods: Thirty two rabbits received regional ischemia by 30 min of left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion followed 3 hours of reperfusion under ketamine and xylazine anesthesia. The animals were randomly assigned to the following 4 treatment groups: a control group, a lidocaine-preconditioned group, a lidocainepostconditioned group, and a lidocaine-continuous administration group. Results: The ratio of areas at risk revealed no significant difference among all groups. Mean infarct size of the area at risk was significantly less in a lidocaine-continuous administration group than other 3 groups. The incidence of arrhythmias during myocardial ischemia was no significant difference between a control group and other 3 groups. The incidence of arrhythmias during reperfusion was no significant difference among all groups. However, lidocaine depressed the activation time which was prolonged by ischemia.