Remote and local ischemic postconditioning further impaired skeletal muscle mitochondrial function after ischemia-reperfusion

For the first time in the setting of hind limb ischemia-reperfusion, ischemic postconditioning not only failed to protect skeletal muscle but also increased injury by enhancing mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Although unexpected, these data are in line with recent reports in patients showing that ischemic postconditioning did not reduce infarct size or improve myocardial function recovery and might have a potential harmful effect. Thus, our data are likely to be pertinent in patients who need major vascular surgery and strongly suggest that caution should be taken before a broader translation of ischemic postconditioning into surgical daily practice.