Impact of Anesthetic Regimen on Remote Ischemic Preconditioning in the Rat Heart In Vivo

Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) seems to be a promising cardioprotective strategy with contradictive clinical data suggesting the anesthetic regimen influencing the favorable impact of RIPC. This study aimed to investigate whether cardio protection by RIPC is abolished by anesthetic regimens. Male Wistar rats were randomized to 6 groups. Anesthesia was either maintained by pentobarbital (Pento) alone or a combination of sevoflurane (Sevo) and remifentanil or propofol (Prop) and remifentanil in combination with and without RIPC. RIPC reduced infarct size in Pento- and Sevo-anesthetized rats (Pento-RIPC: 30% +/- 9% versus Pento-control [Con]: 65% +/- 6%, P < .001; Sevo-RIPC: 31% +/- 6% versus Sevo-Con: 61% +/- 8%, P < .001), but RIPC did not initiate cardio protection in Prop-anesthetized animals (Prop-RIPC: 59% +/- 6% versus Prop-Con: 59% +/- 8%, P = 1.000). Cardio protection by RIPC is abolished by Prop.