 The exact cause of this response is not fully understood. However, it is important to understand the triggers, timing, and pattern of this complex inflammatory response in order to modify or arrest it. Unlike other situations associated with this type of whole-body inflammatory reaction such as trauma or overwhelming infection, cardiac surgical teams have the advantage of knowing when the trigger will occur i.e. during the cardiac operation and hence have the opportunity for preemptive intervention in an effort to minimize the response. One such effort is the focus of this proposal. 