Cardioprotective effect of calcium dobesilate during open-heart surgery

The purpose of this double-blind, controlled, prospective randomized study was to investigate the possible effects of the preoperative use of calcium dobesilate (CLS2210) on the biochemical markers of myocardial injury during open-heart surgery, and to determine if it has any myocardial protective effects.

Twenty-four patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery were included in this study and randomized into two groups. CLS2210 was given orally to 12 patients for 14 days before the operation (CD group), but not to the other 12 patients (control group). Serum CK, CK-MB, myoglobin and troponin-T levels were measured from venous blood samples before and after the operation for evaluation of the effect of this drug against myocardial damage. Blood samples were also taken from the radial artery and the coronary sinus before the institution of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), and 2 and 15 minutes after the removal of the cross-clamp in order to measure the lactate levels and calculate the lactate extraction of the myocardium.

First, CK-MB levels in patients of the CD group were significantly lower than those of the control group (p < 0.05) at the 2nd and 18th postoperative hour. Second, myoglobin and troponin-T levels in the CD group were significantly lower than those of the control group (p < 0.05) at the 2nd, 18th and 48th postoperative hour. Third, there was a significant difference in lactate extraction calculation values between the groups at the 2nd minute after removal of the cross-clamp (p < 0.05).

We concluded that preoperative use of CLS2210 has some beneficial effects in protecting the myocardium and decreasing the myocardial injury during the cardioplegic arrest period in open-heart surgery.