Effect of Erythropoietin on Postresuscitation Renal Function in a Swine Model of Ventricular Fibrillation

Abstract EN

Purpose.

To investigate the effect of EPO administration on postresuscitation renal function.

Methods.

Twenty-four female Landrace/Large-White piglets aged 10–15 weeks with average weight of 19±2 kg were randomly assigned to 2 different groups of 12 subjects each.

After the end of an 8-minute ventricular fibrillation, the control group (Group C) received saline as placebo, whereas the EPO group (Group E) received EPO 5000 U/kg.

The animals were resuscitated according to the 2010 European Resuscitation Council Guidelines for Resuscitation.

Results.

Five animals (41.67%) from Group C and 11 animals (91.67%) from Group E achieved ROSC (p=0.027).

Eight animals (66.67%, 5 surviving and 3 nonsurviving) from Group C suffered severe kidney damage or AKI compared to animals from Group E, in which none of the swine had evidence of severe kidney damage or AKI (p=0.001).

There was a statistically significant difference in all tested biochemical markers between the two groups, as well as a positive correlation of creatinine with NGAL, L-FABP, and IL-18 (summed mean values’ p=0.049, 0.01, and 0.004, resp.).

Conclusions.

Administration of EPO protected swine from postresuscitation acute kidney injury.