Protective effect of nicorandil as an additive to the solution for continuous warm cardioplegia

Experiments were designed to assess whether (1) nicorandil given before global low-flow ischemia or (2) included in low-flow continuous cardioplegia improved the recovery of cardiac function in the isolated rat heart. The first investigated the effect of nicorandil (2, 10, or 100 μmol/L), given for 3 minutes before 30 minutes of normothermic global ischemia, on recovery after 30 minutes of reperfusion. In aerobically perfused hearts, doses of 10 and 100 μmol/L significantly increased coronary flow; the dose of 100 μmol/L exerted a negative inotropic effect. These doses shortened the time to contractile arrest (282 ± 18 and 276 ± 22 seconds versus 354 ± 16 seconds in the control hearts with unmodified ischemia; p p n = 8) in control hearts to 50% in the drug-treated group ( p p p p