Zoniporide preserves left ventricular compliance during ventricular fibrillation and minimizes postresuscitation myocardial dysfunction through benefits on energy metabolism.

Objective: To investigate whether sodium-hydrogen exchanger isoform-1 (NHE-1) inhibition attenuates myocardial injury during resuscitation from ventricular fibrillation through effects on energy metabolism, using an open-chest pig model in which coronary perfusion was controlled by extracorporeal circulation.

Design: Randomized controlled animal study.

Setting: University research laboratory.

Cariporide minimizes adverse myocardial effects of epinephrine during resuscitation from ventricular fibrillation.

Objective: Epinephrine given during closed-chest resuscitation increases blood flow across the coronary and cerebral circuits. However, epinephrine worsens reperfusion arrhythmias and intensifies postresuscitation myocardial dysfunction. We investigated whether cariporide-a selective sodium-hydrogen exchanger isoform-1 inhibitor-could ameliorate such adverse effects without diminishing its vasopressor actions.