Muscle microdialysis to confirm sublethal ischemia in the induction of remote ischemic preconditioning

Exposure of one tissue to ischemia-reperfusion confers a systemic protective effect, referred to as remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC). Confirmation that the desired effect of ischemia is occurring in tissues used to induce RIPC requires an objective demonstration before this technique can be used consistently in the clinical practice. Enrolled patients underwent three to four RIPC sessions on non-consecutive days. Sessions consisted of 4 cycles of 5 min of leg cuff inflation to 30 mmHg above the systolic blood pressure followed by reperfusion. Absence of leg pulse was confirmed by Doppler evaluation. To evaluate limb transient ischemia, patients were monitored with muscle microdialysis. Glucose, lactate, lactate/pyruvate ratio, and glycerol levels were measured. Fourteen microdialysis sessions were performed in seven patients undergoing RIPC (42.8 % male; mean age, 51.8; Fisher grade 4 in all seven patients, Hunt and Hess grade 5 in five patients, four in one patient and one in one patient). An average follow-up of 29 days demonstrated no complications associated with the procedure. Muscle microdialysis during RIPC sessions showed a significant increase in lactate/pyruvate ratio (21.2 to 26.8, p = 0.001) and lactate (3.0 to 3.9 mmol/L, p = 0.002), indicating muscle ischemia. There was no significant variation in glycerol (234 to 204 μg/L, p = 0.43), indicating no permanent cell damage. The RIPC protocol used in this study is safe, well tolerated, and induces transient metabolic changes consistent with sublethal ischemia. Muscle microdialysis can be used safely as a confirmatory tool in the induction of RIPC.