Xenon and the inflammatory response to cardiopulmonary bypass in the rat.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of xenon on the inflammatory response to cardiopulmonary bypass. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized experimental study. SETTING: University research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Sprague-Dawley rats. INTERVENTIONS: After surgical preparation, rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: (1) SHAM rats were cannulated but did not undergo cardiopulmonary bypass; (2) cardiopulmonary bypass rats were subjected to 60 minutes of cardiopulmonary bypass using an oxygenator receiving a 30% O(2), 65% N(2), and 5% CO(2) gas mixture; (3) MK801 rats received MK801 (0.15 mg/kg intravenous) 15 minutes before 60 minutes of cardiopulmonary bypass with the same gas mixture; and (4) xenon rats underwent 60 minutes of cardiopulmonary bypass receiving a 30% O(2), 60% xenon, 5% N(2), and 5% CO(2) gas mixture. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: All bypass groups showed elevations in both cytokines compared with the SHAM-operated group. However, the inflammatory response to cardiopulmonary bypass in the group receiving xenon was no different from the other bypass groups. CONCLUSIONS: Xenon appears to have no effect on the inflammatory response to cardiopulmonary bypass, making its previously described neuroprotective effect during cardiopulmonary bypass likely independent of any inflammation modulation.