Molecular targets and mechanism of action of dexmedetomidine in treatment of ischemia/reperfusion injury

Cai,Ye; Xu,Hui; Yan,Jia; Zhang,Lei; Lu,Yi

doi:10.3892/mmr.2014.2034

Molecular targets and mechanism of action of dexmedetomidine in treatment of ischemia/reperfusion injury

Authors:
- Ye Cai
- Hui Xu
- Jia Yan
- Lei Zhang
- Yi Lu
View Affiliations

Affiliations: Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, P.R. China
Published online on: March 10, 2014 https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2014.2034
Pages: 1542-1550

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Abstract

Dexmedetomidine (DEX), a highly specific α2‑adrenergic agonist, which exhibits anaesthetic‑sparing, analgesia and sympatholytic properties. DEX modulates gene expression, channel activation, transmitter release, inflammatory processes and apoptotic and necrotic cell death. It has also been demonstrated to have protective effects in a variety of animal models of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, including the intestine, myocardial, renal, lung, cerebral and liver. The broad spectrum of biological activities associated with DEX continues to expand, and its diverse effects suggest that it may offer a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of human diseases with I/R involvement.

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