Sildenafil Postconditioning in a Rat Model of Ventricular Fibrillation/ Resuscitation

Objective: To evaluate the multi-organ postconditioning potential of sildenafil during resuscitation. Circulatory arrest/resuscitation induces ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in all organs. I/R injury can be reduced using postconditioning during reperfusion. Sildenafil has proven strong single-organ postconditioning properties.Methods: Ventricular fibrillation (VF) was induced and left untreated for 6 min in anesthetized adult male Wistar rats. During resuscitation, placebo (n=10) or intravenous sildenafil 0.2 mg/kg (n=10) was administered. Troponin-i release, lactate release, blood gases and hemodynamic parameters were assessed. After 3 h of reperfusion, rats were euthanized; brain and heart were removed for infarct staining with triphenyltetrazolium chloride. Urinary kidney injury molecule (KIM-1) was assessed. Data expressed as median (interquartile range), p