Trimetazidine on ischemic injury and reperfusion in coronary artery bypass grafting

Gerez Fernandes Martins1, Aristarco Gonçalves de Siqueira Filho, João Bosco de Figueiredo Santos

  • 1Instituto Estadual de Cardiologia Aloysio de Castro, RJ. gerezm@cardiol.br

Insights

Trimetazidine effectively reduced myocardial injury during coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. This study found no impact on left ventricular function, indicating a safe therapeutic option for reducing ischemia and reperfusion damage.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Cardiovascular Surgery
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Ischemia and reperfusion injury are significant challenges during Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG).
  • These injuries often occur during aortic declamping, releasing damaging hyperoxic radicals.
  • Effective control of these mechanisms remains a critical aspect of CABG procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of Trimetazidine (Tmz) in mitigating myocardial ischemic and reperfusion injury.
  • To assess changes in plasma markers of myocardial aggression, specifically Troponin T and CPK-MB.
  • To identify any effects of Trimetazidine on echocardiographic measures of ventricular function.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 60 patients with mild ventricular dysfunction.
  • Patients received either Trimetazidine (20 mg three times daily) or placebo for 12-15 days pre-operatively and 5-8 days post-operatively.
  • Plasma Troponin T and CPK-MB levels were measured at multiple time points, including pre-operatively, and at 5 minutes, 12, 24, and 48 hours post-aortic declamping.

Main Results:

  • Both Troponin T and CPK-MB levels were significantly lower (p = 0.0001) in the Trimetazidine group compared to the placebo group at all measured time points.
  • These significant reductions indicate a substantial decrease in myocardial injury in the treated group.
  • No significant changes in echocardiographic variables of left ventricular function were observed within or between the groups.

Conclusions:

  • Trimetazidine demonstrated effectiveness in reducing myocardial ischemic and reperfusion injury following CABG.
  • The medication did not adversely affect left ventricular function.
  • No adverse side effects were reported, suggesting Trimetazidine is a safe intervention for this patient population.
Abstract