Clinical Application of Preconditioning and Postconditioning to Achieve Neuroprotection

摘要

Ischemic conditioning is a form of endogenous protection induced by transient, subcritical ischemia in a tissue. Organs with high sensitivity to ischemia, such as the heart, the brain, and spinal cord represent the most critical and potentially promising targets for potential therapeutic applications of ischemic conditioning. Numerous preclinical investigations have systematically studied the molecular pathways and potential benefits of both pre- and post-conditioning with promising results. The purpose of this review is to summarize the present knowledge on cerebral pre-and post-conditioning, with an emphasis in the clinical application of these forms of neuroprotection.MethodsA systematic Medline search for the terms preconditioning and postconditioning was performed. Publications related to the nervous system and to human applications were selected and analyzed.