Fig. 1.
Schematic representation of the experimental protocol. After baseline determination of mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and microvascular variables, animals were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) procedure or sham operation. Sequential measurements of MAP, HR, and microvascular variables were performed at four time points (dashed lines): at baseline, just before fluid resuscitation, after 15 min of fluid resuscitation, and after 4 h of saline or ivabradine infusion. Hamsters allocated in the septic, nonfluid resuscitated nor treated (n = 7; CLP-CONTROL) group were subjected to a partial experimental protocol in which after 24 h of CLP procedure, animals bypassed fluid resuscitation and saline infusion, going directly to blood sampling (black triangle) after measurements of the second time point. CLP-IVABRADINE group = septic, fluid resuscitated with saline and treated with ivabradine (n = 7); CLP-SALINE group = septic, fluid resuscitated and treated with saline (n = 7); SHAM group = nonseptic, fluid resuscitated and treated with saline (n = 7).