The effects of prostaglandin inhibition on whole-body ischemia-reperfusion in swine.

Background: Prostaglandins (PGs), particularly PGE2 and PGI2, have a salutary effect on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion-induced myocardial damage.

Objective: We investigated acute PG synthesis inhibition on outcomes from whole-body ischemia-reperfusion injury using a well-characterized model of ventricular fibrillation (VF)-induced cardiac arrest in pigs. In addition, we assessed early postresuscitation myocardial function in survivors using echocardiography as well as a biochemical measure of myocardial tissue damage.