caa a22 4500 47583352X CHVBK 20180406123847.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170329e20000301xx s 000 0 eng 10.1023/A:1007878523663 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1023/A:1007878523663 Effect of a Calcium-Sensitizing Agent, Levosimendan, on the Postcardioplegic Inotropic Response of the Myocardium [Elektronische Daten] [A. Lochner, F. Colesky, S. Genade] Myocardial contractile function after coronary artery bypass graft surgery is often depressed and may require inotropic support, particularly in patients on treatment with beta-adrenergic and Ca2+ blockers. In view of the increase in cytosolic Ca2+ during early reperfusion, use of Ca2+ sensitizing agents may be preferable to adrenergic agonists for enhancement of contractile function after cardioplegic arrest. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of the Ca2+ sensitizer, levosimendan, as an inotrope on the mechanical recovery of hearts after normothermic and hypothermic cardioplegic arrest in the absence and presence of Ca2+ and beta-blockers. Isolated perfused working guinea pig hearts were perfused in the absence or presence of propranolol (10−6 M) and/or nifedipine (10−8 M), subjected to 45 minutes of normothermic or 180 minutes of hypothermic cardioplegic arrest, reperfused, and exposed to increasing concentrations of levosimendan (10−9 to 10−6 M). Levosimendan (10−7 to 10−6 M) has positive inotropic, chronotropic, and vasodilatory effects on normoxic perfused control hearts, as well as during reperfusion after 45 minutes of normothermic cardioplegic arrest. Similar effects were elicited in the presence of the blockers. Levosimendan had no stimulatory effect during reperfusion of hearts subjected to prior hypothermic arrest. Except for the increase in heart rate, the effects of levosimendan on functional performance during reperfusion were comparable with those of adrenaline. Levosimendan elicits a positive inotropic and chronotropic response during reperfusion of hearts after normothermic cardioplegic arrest, both in the absence and presence of Ca2+ and beta-adrenergic blockers. Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2000 levosimendan nationallicence normothermic cardioplegic arrest nationallicence hypothermic cardioplegic arrest nationallicence Lochner A. Department of Medical Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Stellenbosch, Faculty of Medicine, Republic of South Africa aut Colesky F. MRC Experimental Biology Programme, Tygerberg, Republic of South Africa aut Genade S. MRC Experimental Biology Programme, Tygerberg, Republic of South Africa aut Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy Kluwer Academic Publishers 14/3(2000-03-01), 271-281 0920-3206 14:3<271 2000 14 10557 https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007878523663 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007878523663 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Lochner A. Department of Medical Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Stellenbosch, Faculty of Medicine, Republic of South Africa aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Colesky F. MRC Experimental Biology Programme, Tygerberg, Republic of South Africa aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Genade S. MRC Experimental Biology Programme, Tygerberg, Republic of South Africa aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy Kluwer Academic Publishers 14/3(2000-03-01), 271-281 0920-3206 14:3<271 2000 14 10557 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer