Preconditioning in skeletal muscle

• Main Author: Salman, Mahmoud M.
• Published: University College London (University of London) 2008
• Subjects: 617
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.498560

Ischaemia reperfusion injury of skeletal muscle is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in various surgical specialities. Developing a protective method or pharmacological agent that will limit this damage will be of considerable benefit to both patients and doctors. I have used potassium channel openers and calcium as preconditioning agents. The results show that potassium channel openers are a viable option whereas the use of calcium can exacerbate muscle damage. I looked at various protocols of ischaemic and pharmacological preconditioning. The results from both ischaemic and pharmacological preconditioning have shown a comparable decrease with some pharmacological agents in the extent of skeletal muscle infarction both in the early and late period of reperfusion. This decrease in the extent of muscle infarction is associated with changes in the levels of nitric oxide in the circulation. There was preservation of skeletal muscle oxygenation in preconditioned muscle. I have shown that preconditioning of skeletal muscle is a viable option in trying to reduce the amount of damage caused by ischaemia reperfusion injury.