Effects of a short-acting β1 receptor antagonist landiolol on hemodynamics and tissue injury markers in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage undergoing intracranial aneurysm surgery

Sympathetic activation after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) can induce tachycardia as well as cardiac and brain injury. We examined the effects of β1 receptor antagonist landiolol on hemodynamics and the levels of tissue injury markers in patients with SAH. Fifty-six SAH patients undergoing intracranial aneurysm surgery with tachycardia (90 beats per minute) randomly allocated to landiolol (L) or control (C) group were examined. In L group, landiolol was continuously administered during anesthesia. In C group, landiolol was not administered except bolus dose used in cases that exhibited uncontrolled tachycardia. Hemodynamics, the incidence of electrocardiographic abnormality, and levels of B-type natriuretic peptide, troponin T, S-100β, 8-Hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1 receptor antagonist were compared. Heart rate values from time of intubation to the end of anesthesia were significantly lower in L group than in C group, whereas blood pressure was similar between the groups. Although the incidence of bradycardia (<60 beats per minute) was significantly higher in L group than in C group (57% vs. 18%, respectively), bradycardia could be recovered without any adverse effects. The serum S-100β levels 24 hours after operation were significantly lower in L group than in C group, whereas there were no significant differences in the incidence of electrocardiographic abnormality and levels of B-type natriuretic peptide, troponin T, 8-Hydroxy-2′- deoxyguanosine, IL-6, and IL-1 receptor antagonist between groups. We conclude that landiolol can be effectively used in the treatment of tachycardia in SAH patients and significantly reduced the serum S-100β levels 24 hours after the operation.