Landiolol enhances effect of ischemic preconditioning in isolated rabbit hearts

The effect of the ultra-short-acting beta blocker, landiolol, on ischemic preconditioning was examined in isolated rabbit hearts. Ischemic preconditioned hearts received 2 episodes of 5 min each of global ischemia and reperfusion. The left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded for 1 hour and reperfused for 1 hour. Left ventricular end-systolic and end-diastolic pressures and infarct size were measured. Seven control hearts had no drug infused. Four groups of 6 hearts each were pretreated with 1 or 3 microM of landiolol or a combination of 1 or 3 microM landiolol and ischemic preconditioning. A further group of 6 hearts had ischemic preconditioning without landiolol. Ischemic preconditioning significantly reduced left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and infarct size compared to the controls. Landiolol alone did not change left ventricular end-diastolic pressure or infarct size, but landiolol 3 microM and ischemic preconditioning decreased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure more than preconditioning alone. These data suggest that pre-ischemic landiolol infusion may enhance the cardioprotective effect of ischemic preconditioning.