The efficacy and mechanism of dexmedetomidine in myocardial apoptosis via the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system

• Main Authors: Huishu Wang, Siduo Zhang, Shiyuan Xu, Liangcheng Zhang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi - SAGE Publishing 2015-12-01
• Series: Journal of the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1177/1470320314546941

Introduction: Pharmacological preconditioning limits myocardial infarct size after ischemia/reperfusion. Dexmedetomidine is an α 2 -adrenergic receptor agonist used in anesthesia that may have cardioprotective properties against ischemia/reperfusion injury. We investigated whether dexmedetomidine induces cardioprotection against myocardial apoptosis injury. Methods: In order to assess the role of dexmedetomidine on myocardial apoptosis, we established a grave scalding rat model. Blood and myocardial tissue from the ventriculus sinister were harvested, then troponin, myocardial apoptosis, and expression of caspase-12, GRP78, and CHOP were assessed. Results: Dexmedetomidine significantly reduced myocardial apoptosis, improved functional recovery, and reversed myocardial injury induced by grave scalding. The heart rate in the five groups studied was significantly different ( p < 0.05). The number of buffy-stained nucleoli in the myocardial cell was highest in the simple scald group. The expression of caspase-12 obviously increased in the simple scald group. The expression of GRP78 and CHOP increased in the simple scald and scald and 50 μg/kg dexmedetomidine groups ( p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results show that dexmedetomidine (DEX) produces cardioprotection against myocardial apoptosis injury. DEX is not only a useful sedative, but also plays a pivotal role in anesthetic cardioprotection. The potential benefits of DEX protection in high risk cardiovascular patients undergoing surgery are enormous.