Nitroglycerin and Delayed Preconditioning in Humans

hort episodes of ischemia and reperfusion protect the myocardium from the damage induced by episodes of sustained ischemia.Such ischemic preconditioning is apparent within minutes and lasts for 2 to 3 hours; a second phase of delayed preconditioning reappears 12 to 24 hours later and lasts for 3 to 4 days.Ischemic preconditioning, in its early and delayed form, is currently the prevailing paradigm for experimental studies aiming to reduce infarct size and other deleterious consequences of ischemia/reperfusion. 1 A more detailed analysis of the underlying signal transduction is expected to provide better insight into the basic pathophysiology of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury and to help develop more potent and specific pharmacological treatments.