PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF FLUNARIZINE ON HEMORRHAGIC-SHOCK IN RATS

Intravenous injections of flunarizine 0.25 , 0.5, or 1.0 mg . kg-1 10 min before hemorrhage increased the maximal bleeding volume from 4.3 /- 1.1 to 5.5 +/- 1.1 ml. As the dose of flunarizine increased, the su rvival time in rats subjected to hemorrhage was prolonged in a dose-de pendent manner. Five hours after the reinfusion, flunarizine 1 mg . kg -1 markedly improved the survival rate to 70% compared with nil in the shock group. Flunarizine reduced the increase of lactate in blood, am eliorated the depletion of ATP stores in tissues, and prevented the ca lcium accumulation in heart and liver. The results suggest that flunar izine may produce a protective effect on hemorrhagic shock, probably r elated to the decrease of calcium accumulation in the ischemic tissues .