AIM To investigate whether
adenosine A 1 receptor is involved in the protective effects of ischemic preconditioning(IPC)
on
spinal cord of rabbits. METHODS Spinal cord ischemia was induced by occluding infrarenal abdominal aorta. The male New Zealands white rabbits were assigned to seven groups: ischemic injury(II) group underwent aortic occlusion for 20 min; IPC group underwent aortic occlusion for 6 min followed by 30 min of reperfusion before aortic occlusion for 20 min; 8 cyclopentyl 1,3 dipropylxanthine(DPCPX,
adenosine A 1 receptor antagonist)+IPC group was treated with DPCPX 0.3 mg·kg -1 ip, 10 min before IPC; DMSO(solvent)+IPC group was treated with DMSO 1 mL·kg -1 , ip, 10 min before IPC; DPCPX+II group was treated with DPCPX 46 min before the occlusion for 20 min; ischemia 6 min group just underwent aortic occlusion for 6 min, DPCPX+ischemia 6 min group was treated with DPCPX before aortic occlusion for 6 min. Neurologic status was scored at 48 h after reperfusion and then the spinal cords were removed for histopathologic study. RESULTS Compared to II group, IPC ameliorated neurologic and histopathologic outcome significantly; DPCPX canceled the protective effect produced by IPC, but not did DMSO; DPCPX+II group had similar neurologic and histopathologic outcome with II group; both ischemia 6 min and DPCPX+ischemia 6 min caused no spinal cord ischemic injury. CONCLUSION Adenosine A 1 receptor is involved in the protective effects of IPC on spinal cord in rabbits.