Tissue maintenance

1. A method of reducing damage to a tissue, organ or cell resulting from cardioplegia comprising administering an additive composition comprising a potassium channel opener/agonist and/or an adenosine receptor agonist, together with a local anaesthetic and magnesium cations wherein the composition is administered when reperfusing the organ during the recovery phase of a surgical procedure.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition includes magnesium cations in an amount of from about 0.5 mM to about 20 mM.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition is heated to a temperature of from about 32° C. to about 37° C. before administration.

4. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising administering the additive composition while perfusing the organ during a quiescent state.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the tissue, cell or organ is a heart.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a potassium concentration of less than about 10 mM.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the potassium channel opener/agonist is adenosine and the local anaesthetic is lignocaine.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the additive composition comprises adenosine, magnesium cations and lignocaine.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the damage to a tissue organ, or cell comprises post-operative fibrillation that occurs following a heart procedure.

10. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising reanimating the tissue, organ or cell.

11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises an antioxidant.

12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the antioxidant is selected from allopurinol, carnosine, histidine, Coenzyme Q 10, superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase modulators and regulators, catalase and metalloenzymes, NADPH and NADPH oxidase inhibitors, glutathione, U-74006F, Trolox, gamma tocopherols, alpha tocopherols, beta tocopherols, delta tocopherols, tocotrienols, ascorbic acid, Beta-Carotene, selenium, Gamma Linoleic Acid1, alpha-lipoic acid, uric acid, curcumin, bilirubin, proanthocyanidins, epigallocatechin gallate, Lutein, lycopene, bioflavonoids, dimethylthiourea, tempol, carotenoids, coenzyme Q, melatonin, flavonoids, polyphenols, aminoindoles, probucol, nitecapone, 21-aminosteroids, lazaroids, thiazolidine, Ebselen, dithiolethiones, and N-acetylcysteine.

13. A method according to claim 12 , wherein the antioxidant is melatonin.

14. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises an impermeant.

15. A method according to claim 14 , wherein the impermeant is selected from glucose, sugars, pyruvate, lactate, glutamate, glutamine, aspartate, arginine, ectoine, taurine, N-acetyl-beta-lysine, alanine, proline, amino acids, and amino acid derivatives, trehalose, floridoside, glycerol, polyhydric alcohols (polyols), sorbitol, myo-innositol, pinitol, insulin, alpha-keto glutarate, malate, succinate, triglycerides and derivatives, fatty acids and carnitine and derivatives.

16. A method according to claim 15 , wherein the impermeant is insulin.