Protective effect of edaravone post-conditioning on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rabbits: a speckle tracking imaging study

Edaravone, an effective free radical scavenger, can alleviate myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) by decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. The speckle tracking imaging (STI) could precisely and objectively evaluate the global and regional myocardial deformation. The aim of our study was to assess the protective effect of edaravone postconditioning on IRI in rabbits by quantitatively detecting the global and regional deformation characteristics of left ventricle using STI. In the present study, Japanese big ear rabbits were randomly divided into IRI group, ischemia postconditioning group, edaravone postconditioning (intravenous group), and edaravone postconditioning (intra-arterial group). The absolute value of global and regional longitudinal, circumferential and radial strain and strain rate of left ventricle was decreased after coronary artery obstruction. Ischemia-reperfusion could not restrain the changes of myocardial deformation parameters. Edaravone postconditioning, performed the same functions as ischemia postconditioning, effectively promoted myocardial function by enhancing the myocardial strain and strain rate. Moreover, edaravone postconditioning and ischemia postconditioning could improve twist function by increasing the absolute value of peak twist (Ptw), untwisting rate (Untw R), peak twisting velocity (PTV) and peak untwisting velocity (PUV). In conclusion, edaravone postconditioning plays important protective roles in the global and regional deformation characteristics. Meanwhile, our study showed that there was no obvious difference between the two different drug-delivery systems in the recovery of myocardial deformation except in circumferential strain, which further demonstrated the wide application prospect of edaravone.