Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) delays neutrophil apoptosis, while inducing apoptosis in myocardium. The former plays a significant role in inducing and maintaining the systemic inflammatory reaction (CPB-SIR), and the latter is the main mechanism in arousing ischemia-reperfusion injury. CPB-SIR could be alleviated by inhibition delay apoptosis in neutrophils, while prevention and diminution myocardial apoptosis improves postoperative cardiac function.
