• Myron M Kwapisz, Matthias Müller, Ehrenfried Schindler, Selma Demir, Mirko Veit, Peter Roth, and Gunter Hempelmann.
• Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine, Pain Therapy University Hospital Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
• J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. 2004 Feb 1; 18 (1): 53-8.

ObjectivesPerioperative treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass is still controversial. Using ACE inhibitors during cardiac surgery might be associated with an increased risk of critical hypotensive episodes. On the other hand, ACE inhibitors could have beneficial effects with respect to the development of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome.DesignThe effect of acute administration of quinaprilat on hemodynamic variables and plasma cytokines was assessed under double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled conditions.SettingDepartment of anesthesiology and cardiovascular surgery clinic in a university hospital.ParticipantsForty patients without preexisting cardiac failure, undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.InterventionsPatients received 0.08 mg/kg of intravenous quinaprilat or intravenous isotonic saline solution after induction of anesthesia.Measurements And ResultsBlood samples were taken after induction of anesthesia (T0), before cardiopulmonary bypass (T1), at the end of surgery (T2), and 4 hours after the end of surgery (T3). There was no difference between the 2 groups regarding mean arterial pressure and inotropic or vasopressor support. Systemic vascular resistance index was significantly lower in the quinaprilat group at T2 (p = 0.016) and T3 (p = 0.017). No difference in proinflammatory cytokine levels was observed between the 2 groups.ConclusionsThe present investigation shows that acute administration of an intravenous ACE inhibitor, quinaprilat, has no influence on proinflammatory cytokines during cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. The patients treated with quinaprilat showed an improved systemic vascular resistance index with no increased risk of deleterious hemodynamic episodes.

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