Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after cardiac surgery and is associated with decreased long-term survival. The mechanism for inducing acute kidney injury is unknown but ischaemia-reperfusion injury is indicated to be a part of the cause.~Animal studies have showed cytoprotective, preconditioning and anti-apoptotic effects of ciclosporin in ischaemia-reperfusion injury in the kidney. The major mechanism is thought to be inhibition of the reperfusion triggered opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), responsible for reperfusion-induced necrosis. During cardiac surgery, the period of extracorporeal circulation (ECC) changes the perfusion through the kidney. Return to normal perfusion with a beating heart has similarities with reperfusion following ischemia.~Administration of ciclosporin in conjunction with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), heart surgery and traumatic brain injury (TBI) in humans has shown to be safe with no direct side-effects.~The investigators therefore hypothesize that a preconditioning effect of ciclosporin before coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) can reduce the level of renal dysfunction after this type of cardiac surgery.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential of ciclosporin in reducing risk and degree of acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery.