Effect of sulpiride on ischemia- and reperfusion-induced heart damage, in rats

In an experimental model of heart ischemia, obtained in anesthetized rats with the permanent ligature of the left anterior descending coronary artery, the intravenous (iv) injection of I-sulpiride (6-25 micrograms/kg) dose-dependently reduced the lethality rate, the incidence and severity of ventricular dysrhythmias and infarct size during the early phase of ischemia (first 30 min after coronary ligation). Lethality and there incidence and duration of ventricular dysrhythmias were also significantly reduced by the same IV doses of I-sulpiride in a model of coronary reperfusion. These results show that a specific dopamine antagonist is able to limit ischemia- and reperfusion-induced myocardial damage and suggest that endogenous dopamine may exert a deleterious effect in such conditions.