Effects of levosimendan administered after reperfusion in experimental intestinal ischemia reperfusion model

Objectıve: By partial or total occlusion of intestinal arterial blood flow intestinal ischemia; with the blood re-flow reperfusion occurs. Intestinal ischemia reperfusion (IIR) injury can cause multiple organ failure and death. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of levosimendan administered after reperfusion on IIR injury.Material and Method: After the approval of Local Ethics Committee for Animal Researches of Medical School of Dokuz Eylul University, 21 male Albino Wistar rats weighing 250-300 g were divided into 3 groups, each consisting of 7 subjects. Laparatomy was applied to all groups after arterial and venous catheterisation; superior mesenteric artery (SMA) was dissected. Nothing else was applied to sham group. In IIR group SMA was clamped for 60 min. to cause ischemia and declamped for 120 min. to cause reperfusion. In IIR+L group after clamping of SMA for 60 min. and declamping for 120 min., at the end of the reperfusion following intravenous 12 ?g.kg-1 of levosimendan loading dose for 10 min., 0,2 ?g.kg-1. h-1 infusion was administered for 50 min. The measured values of mean arterial pressures (MAP) were recorded at 10 minutes after stabilisation of rats; 15th, 30th, 60th minutes of ischemia period; 15th, 30th, 60th, 120th minutes of reperfusion; after levosimendan bolus and at the end of the infusion. The grade of reperfusion injury in ileum samples collected after experiment was evaluated biochemically by tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) measurement; histopathologically by Chiu score. p< 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant.Results: MAP values at the 30th min. of reperfusion period were lower in IIR and IIR+L groups than Sham group. In IIR and IIR+L groups the values at 15th, 30th and 60th min. of reperfusion were decreased compared to basal values. Group?s tissue MDA levels was not any difference among groups. Chiu scores of Sham group were lower than IIR and IIR+L groups, whereas Chiu scores of IIR group were determined higher than IIR+L group.Conclusion: Levosimendan infusion administered after intestinal IR did not cause decrease on MAP, reduced intestinal injury however, it can not be shown to affect lipid peroxidation. It is concluded that, this treatment which can be clinically beneficial should be elaborated experimentally.Keywords: Intestinal ischemia, reperfusion injury, levosimendan