Lixin Lui Research

The current research interest is to study mechanisms of age-associated change in cardioprotection following anesthetic preconditioning. Preconditioning confers a remarkable cardioprotection in a variety of species, including humans.

The majority of research into cardioprotective measurements involves models using young or early adult animals. However, cardioprotective strategies would most benefit the elderly patients. Indeed, recent studies in the isolated perfused rat heart model have shown that ischemia preconditioning (IPC) and anesthetic preconditioning (APC) failed to induce cardioprotection in the senescent myocardium. Clinically, it has been suggested that the benefit of “preinfarction angina” in elderly patients is substantially less than in younger patients. We have recently established an ischemia/reperfusion intact rat model that permits us to study anesthetic preconditioning.

Our results have demonstrated a reduction in the cardioprotective effects of isoflurane and an attenuation of ROS in the aged myocardium. Our work should provide an avenue for new approaches to myocardial protection in the elderly population.