Myocardial cyclic AMP augmentation with high-dose PDEIII inhibitor in terminal warm blood cardioplegia.

Ischemia and/or reperfusion deplete myocardial cAMP, leading to impaired Ca2+ handling and further to cardiac dysfunction. High-dose PDEIII inhibitor in TWBCP may replenish myocardial cAMP and promote rapid and sustained cardiac functional recovery with various cellular protective effects after open-heart surgery.