Vascular changes after cardiopulmonary bypass and ischemic cardiac arrest: roles of nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase

Cardiac surgery involving ischemic arrest and extracorporeal circulation is often associated with alterations in vascular reactivity and permeability due to changes in the expression and activity of isoforms of nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase. These inflammatory changes may manifest as systemic hypotension, coronary spasm or contraction, myocardial failure, and dysfunction of the lungs, gut, brain and other organs. In addition, endothelial dysfunction may increase the occurrence of late cardiac events such as graft thrombosis and myocardial infarction. These vascular changes may lead to increased mortality and morbidity and markedly lengthen the time of hospitalization and cost of cardiac surgery. Developing a better understanding of the vascular changes operating through nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase may improve the care and help decrease the cost of cardiovascular operations.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Sellke,F.W.
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica 1999
Online Access:http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X1999001100004
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!