Effect of ischemic preconditioning on left ventricular function after cardiac arrest in isolated rat heart.Ischemic preconditioning reduces infarct size caused by sustained ischemia. However, the effects of preconditioning on post ischemic cardiac function are not well-known. The objective of the present study was to determine whether preconditioning would improve the recovery of left ventricular functions after cardiac arrest in isolated rat heart model.Isolated rat hearts were allowed to equilibrate for 20 minutes and were then subjected to either 5 minutes of global, normothermic transient ischemia [Group 2 and 4] or not [Group 3]. A stabilization period of perfusion lasting 5 minutes after the termination of transient ischemia was followed by a standard global, normothermic 20 minute-ischemia and 35-minute reperfusion challenge [Group 3 and 4]. These following results were odtained.1. The recovery of left ventricular developed pressures showed no significant differences between Group 3 and Group 4 at 50 [P>0.3] and 85 minute [P>0.2].2. Heart rates showed no significant differences throughout all the course of experiment and between groups [P>0.5].3. The recovery of left ventricular maximum dP/dt showed no significant differences between Group 3 and Group 4 at 50 [P>0.1] and 85 minute [P>0.2].4. The recovery of pressure-rate products showed no significant differences between Group3 and Group 4 at 50 [P>0.5] and 85 minute [P>0.1].These results suggest that ischemic preconditioning does not provide significant benefit for the postischemic left ventricular functions in isolated rat hearts.