Objective: We wished to assess the effect of global hypoxia and the effect of nicotine pretreatment on the brain and heart of newborn pigs. Hypothesising that nicotine might give a better outcome because of its anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects.
Methods: Twenty-two anaesthetised piglets were randomised to pretreatment with saline or nicotine (130 microg/kg/h) before 45 min global hypoxia. They were observed for 27 h. The brain and heart were assessed with histopathological methods. Serum for Troponin t (TnT) analyses was collected at baseline and at the end of the experiment.
Results: There were no significant differences between the groups. At the end of hypoxia, BE was -14.8 +/- 4.9 mmol/l and MABP was 25 +/- 9 mmHg. Seven animals had autolysis of the cerebrum/cerebellum, their BE after hypoxia was -19 +/- 1.8 mmol/l and MABP 23 +/- 3 mmHg. The remaining 15 animals had a BE of -13 +/- 4.7mmol/l (p = 0.0004) and a MABP of 26 +/- 11 mmHg (ns). Eleven animals presented myocardial damage. A significant increase in TnT occurred in both groups. TnT increase and myocardial damage correlated (p = 0.001; r = 0.67). Animals with severe increase in TnT presented severe brain damage.
Conclusions: Severe increase in serum TnT levels was linked to severe cerebral damage. Nicotine pretreatment had no impact on cerebral or cardiac histopathology.