Managing the inflammatory response after cardiopulmonary bypass: review of the studies in animal models

OBJECTIVE: To review studies performed in animal models that evaluated therapeutic interventions to inflammatory response and microcirculatory changes after cardiopulmonary bypass. METHODS: It was used the search strategy ("Cardiopulmonary Bypass" (MeSH)) and ("Microcirculation" (MeSH) or "Inflammation" (MeSH) or "Inflammation Mediators" (MeSH)). Repeated results, human studies, non-English language articles, reviews and studies without control were excluded. RESULTS: Blood filters, system miniaturization, specific primers regional perfusion, adequate flow and temperature and pharmacological therapies with anticoagulants, vasoactive drugs and anti-inflammatories reduced changes in microcirculation and inflammatory response. CONCLUSION: Demonstrated efficacy in animal models establishes a perspective for evaluating these interventions in clinical practice.