Mechanisms of cardioprotection by isoflurane against I/R injury

Myocardial infarction is responsible for most cardiovascular mortality as well as the pathogenesis of myocardial damage during and after infarction. Efforts are underway to modulate the development of ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury. Recently, the protective effect of isoflurane against myocardial I-R injury emerged as a possibility. Nitric oxide, nitric oxide synthases, factors related to energy metabolism, adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channels, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and hypoxia-inducible factor1-alpha have been shown to participate in the mechanisms of cardioprotection elicited by isoflurane against I-R injury. In this review, we focus on the mechanisms of cardioprotection offered by isoflurane against I-R injury.