Effects of Hypoxen on Rat Myocardial Contractility after Severe Brain Injury

Abstract

Objective: to study the effects of hypoxen on the myocardial contractility of rats with severe brain injury (BI).Materials and methods. Experiments were made on 69 male albino rats, by using the isolated isovolumetrically contracted heart procedure as described by E. T. Fallen et al. Post-BI cardiac functional reserves were estimated by a hypoxic test, followed by reoxygenation and a high-frequency rhythm load.Results. The intraperitoneal injection of hypoxen in a dose of 60 mg/kg one and 24 hours before severe BI contributed to increases in the rates of left myocardial contraction and relaxation in the injured rats. There was an increase in the resistance of the hearts in the animals receiving the drug before or after injury to hypoxia-reperfusion and high-frequency rhythm loads. The administration of the drug to the animals not only sustained the reserves of antioxidants, but even increased their blood levels.Conclusion. The results of the experiments using hypoxen confirmed the significance of pathogenetic factors, such as hypoxia and oxidative stress, in the development of posttraumatic myocardial contractile changes.

Keywords

• brain injury
• heart
• hypoxen
• correction of functional and metabolic impairments