Background: Paraplegia after thoracic aortic aneurysm has an incidence of 2.2% to 24%. This study was planned to show the beneficial effects of prostacyclin on spinal cord ischemia.
Methods: Twelve rabbits underwent 30 minutes of aortic occlusion. Six rabbits received prostacyclin, whereas the remaining rabbits did not. Prostacyclin administration was started with a rate of 5 ng/kg/min 5 minutes before aortic occlusion. This dosage was increased to 25 ng/kg/min during aortic occlusion. Prostacyclin administration after aortic occlusion was maintained for a period of 5 minutes. During this period, prostacyclin dosage was 5 ng/kg/min.
Results: One rabbit in the prostacyclin group and five rabbits in the control group were paraplegic. Arterial pressure proximal to the clamp was 65 +/- 7 mm Hg before aortic occlusion and 78 +/- 10 mm Hg during aortic occlusion in the control group and 68 +/- 12 mm Hg before aortic occlusion and 65 +/- 6 mm Hg during aortic occlusion in the prostacyclin group. Arterial pressure distal to the clamp was 11 +/- 4 mm Hg during aortic occlusion in the control group and 18 +/- 5 mm Hg during aortic occlusion in the prostacyclin group (p = 0.02).
Conclusions: Intravenous prostacyclin reduced the neurologic injury caused by spinal cord ischemia and reperfusion after 30 minutes of aortic occlusion in the rabbit model.