Protection of the ischemic diabetic heart by L-propionylcarnitine therapy

Diabetics suffer from an increased incidence of myocardial infarction and are less likely to survive an ischemic insult. Since L-propionylcarnitine (LPC) has been shown to protect against ischemic/reperfusion injury, we hypothesized that LPC may be of even greater benefit to the diabetic heart. Diabetes was induced by i.v. streptozotocin, 60 mg/kg; duration: 12 wks. The chronic effect of LPC was determined by daily i.p. injections (100 mg/kg) for 8 wks. The acute effects of LPC were determined by adding it to the perfusion medium (5 mM) of control and diabetic hearts. Initial cardiac contractile performance of isolated perfused working hearts was assessed by varying left atrial filling pressure. Hearts were then subjected to 90 min of low flow global ischemia followed by 30 min reperfusion. Chronic LPC treatment had no effect on initial cardiac performance in either control or diabetic hearts. Acute addition of LPC to the perfusion medium enhanced pump performance of control hearts, but had no effect in diabetic hearts. Both acute and chronic LPC significantly improved the ability of control and diabetic hearts to recover cardiac contractile performance after ischemia and reperfusion, however, chronic treatment was more effective in diabetic hearts.     

Regulation of cardiomyocyte apoptosis in ischemic reperfused mouse heart by glutathione peroxidase

Apoptosis, a genetically controlled programmed cell death, has been found to play a role in ischemic reperfusion injury in several animal species including rats and rabbits. To examine whether this is also true for other animals, an isolated perfused mouse heart was subjected to 30 min of ischemia followed by 2 h of reperfusion. Experiments were terminated before ischemia (baseline), after ischemia, and at 30, 60, 90 and 120 min of reperfusion. At the end of each experiment, hearts were processed for the evaluation of apoptosis and DNA laddering. The in situ end labeling (ISEL) technique was used to detect apoptotic cardiomyocyte nuclei while DNA laddering was evaluated by subjecting the DNA obtained from the cardiomyocytes to 1.8% agarose gel electrophoresis followed by photographing under UV illumination. The results of our study revealed that apoptotic cells appear only after 60 min of reperfusion as demonstrated by the intense fluorescence of the immunostained genomic DNA when observed under fluorescence microscopy. None of the ischemic hearts showed any evidence of apoptosis. These results were corroborated with the findings of DNA fragmentation showing increased ladders of DNA bands in the same reperfused hearts representing integer multiples of the internucleosomal DNA length (about 180 bp). Since our previous studies showed a role of glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) in apoptotic cell death, we performed identical experiments using isolated hearts from GSHPx-l knockout mice and transgenic mice overexpressing GSHPx-l. GSHPx-l knockout mice showed evidence of apoptotic cell death even after 30 min of reperfusion. Significant number of apoptotic cells were found in the cardiomyocytes as compared to non-transgenic control animals. To the contrary, very few apoptotic cells were found in the hearts of the transgenic mice overexpressing GSHPx-l. Hearts of GSHPx-l knockout mice were more susceptible to ischemia/reperfusion injury while transgenic mice overexpressing GSHPx- 1 were less susceptible to ischemia reperfusion injury compared to non-transgenic control animals. The results of this study clearly demonstrate a role of GSHPx in ischemia/reperfusion-induced apoptosis in mouse heart.     

Reduction of infarct size by orally administered des-aspartate-angiotensin I in the ischemic reperfused rat heart

Occlusion of the left main coronary artery for 45 min caused sizable infarct scaring of the left ventricular wall in the rat heart at 14 days post-reperfusion. Daily oral administration of des-aspartate-angiotensin I (DAA-I) for 14 days attenuated the area of the infarct scar and transmurality. The attenuation was dose-dependent and biphasic; maximum effective dose was 1524 nmol/kg, and doses higher than this were progressively inactive. The exact mechanism of the biphasic attenuation is not known, and receptor down-regulation by internalization, which has been implicated in a similar biphasic nature for the anticardiac hypertrophic action of DAA-I, could be a likely cause. Indomethacin (101 μmol/kg, i.p.), administered sequentially after the daily oral dose of DAA-I (1524 nmol/kg), completely inhibited the attenuation at 14 days post-reperfusion, indicating that prostaglandins may be involved in transducing the attenuation. The present findings support earlier indications that DAA-I exerts protective actions in cardiovascular pathologies in which angiotensin II is implicated. It is suggested that DAA-I exerts the cardioprotective action by acting on the same indomethacin-sensitive angiotensin AT₁ receptor. Although similar array of protective actions are also seen with another endogenous angiotensin, angiotensin-(1–7), the present findings demonstrate for the first time the ability of an endogenous angiotensin to reduce the infarct size of an ischemic-reperfusion injured rat heart.     

Protection of the ischaemic dog heart by oxfenicine

Myocardial ischaemia was produced in closed-chest anaesthetised dogs by coronary embolisation with Sephadex microspheres. Myocardial enzyme release and lactate production were used to quantitate the severity of ischaemia. In dogs pretreated with oxfenicine (S-4-hydroxyphenylglycine; 0.1mmol.kg^?1) 1h prior to embolisation, peak lactate production (extraction ratio ?25±13%) was significantly less than in control dogs (?72±5%; p < 0.01), and the time post-embolisation at which nett lactate uptake became re-established was reduced from 1.4h to 0.4h. Myocardial release of lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme 1 (HBDH) up to 5h post-embolisation was reduced by 40% in oxfenicine pretreated dogs and there was a similar reduction in the HBDH arterio-coronary sinus difference. Since oxfenicine pretreatment did not modify the major haemodynamic determinants of myocardial oxygen consumption, we conclude that these beneficial effects result from the ability of oxfenicine to divert myocardial metabolism from fatty acid to carbohydrate oxidation, with a consequent reduction in oxygen demand.     

Chronic alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Protection of the isolated ischaemic working heart by ribose

The effects of ribose on the pre- and post-ischaemic functional performance of the isolated working heart from 24 month old chronically alcoholic animals was investigated. The improved perfusion model permitted the isolated heart to perform work analogous to that of the normal physiological load, in a system where systemic pressure and atrial pressure could be altered over a wide range and oxygen loss from the perfusion fluid was a minimum. There was a remarkable improvement in the performance of isolated hearts taken from alcoholic animals that were perfused with 1.7 mM ribose both before and after a 25.0 min period of global myocardial ischaemia (at 25 degrees C), however ribose treatment did not greatly affect the performance of hearts of isocaloric control aged rats. Chronic alcohol consumption significantly affected heart performance, causing a marked reduction in both cardiac and work output. After ischaemia the work of all hearts was notably decreased; there was no work output in untreated hearts of alcoholic animals, whereas in hearts of alcoholic animals treated with ribose work output was only decreased by 35%. The acute response to ribose by hearts of aged chronically alcoholic animals suggests a role for this compound as a positive inotropic agent and clearly indicates the beneficial potential of ribose for inclusion in cardioplegic solutions or for infusion in alcoholic subjects showing signs of heart failure or chronic heart disease.     

Effective protection by NHE-1 inhibition in ischemic and reperfused heart under preconditioning blockade

We compared the protective effects of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) and the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger-1 (NHE-1) inhibitor cariporide in isolated rat hearts subjected to global ischemia (45 or 90 min) and 30-min reperfusion and determined the protective effects of cariporide under IPC blockade with the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K(+) channel blocker 5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD). With 45-min ischemia, both IPC and cariporide equally increased maximum recovery of left ventricular developed pressure twofold (P < 0.05), although recovery was significantly greater with cariporide for the first 15 min of reperfusion. 5-HD almost completely blocked the protective effects of IPC on recovery but had no influence on the salutary effects of cariporide. With 90-min ischemic control, recovery was only 3% of preischemia and was unaffected by IPC, although cariporide increased recovery to approximately 30% (P < 0.05). This was associated with a 37% preservation of viable cardiac cells, whereas no structurally intact cells were found in either IPC or control hearts. Our study shows that NHE-1 inhibition is a more effective cardioprotective strategy than IPC in this model, possibly because of enhanced myocyte salvage, and because protection by NHE-1 inhibition is completely unaffected by IPC blockade with 5-HD.     

Alteration of 1,2-diacylglycerol content in ischemic and reperfused heart

Human term placenta contains an ATP diphosphohydrolase activity which hydrolyses ATP to ADP and inorganic phosphate and ADP to AMP and a second mole of inorganic phosphate. The activity has a pH optimum between 8.0 and 8.5. Magnesium or calcium ions are required for maximum activity. Other nucleoside phosphates, p-nitrophenyl phosphate or sodium pyrophosphate, are not hydrolysed. The activity is not due to ATPases, or to myokinase, as determined by the use of inhibitors. NaF and NaN₃ were found to inhibit strongly the activity thus identifying it as an ATP diphosphohydrolase.A sensitive enzymatic assay for measurement of AMP, one of the products of the reaction, was established, based on the strong inhibition of muscle fructose 1,6-biphosphatase by AMP. The range of the assay was 0.05–0.8 µM AMP. ATP diphosphohydrolase was found to have a rate of AMP production from ADP twice the rate from ATP. Under the same conditions, the assay for Pi release, on the other hand, gave velocities similar to each other for the two substrates.The activity appears to be identical to the ADP-hydrolysing activity in placenta reported by others.Abbreviations Ap₅A P¹ - P⁵-di(adenosine-5) Pentaphosphate - ATP-DPH ATP Diphosphohydrolase - DCCD N,N Dicyclohexycarbodiimide - Fru-P₂ase Fructose 1,6-biphosphatase - SDS Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate - TLC Thin Layer Chromatography     

Duration of ischaemia determines matrix metalloproteinase-2 activation in the reperfused rabbit heart

It has been hypothesised that activation of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) contributes to reversible myocardial dysfunction (stunning) following short-term ischaemia and reperfusion. Gelatin zymography was used to measure release of both pro-MMP-2 (72 kDa) and MMP-2 (62 kDa), into the coronary effluent from isolated, perfused rabbit hearts during 90 min aerobic perfusion (control), or low-flow ischaemia (15 or 60 min at 1 mL/min), followed by 60 min reperfusion. In controls, pro-MMP-2 was detected in the coronary effluent throughout the first 30 min of aerobic perfusion, but MMP-2 was not detected. In contrast, MMP-2 was detected in the coronary effluent during reperfusion after both 15 and 60 min ischaemia. However, while left ventricular systolic function was impaired after both 15 min and 60 min ischaemia, a significant increase in the release of MMP-2 was only detected in hearts following 60 min ischaemia. The dissociation between mechanical function and MMP-2 levels suggest that MMP-2 does not contribute to myocardial stunning in this model, but may contribute to myocardial dysfunction following prolonged ischaemia.     

Accumulation of specific ceramides in ischemic/reperfused rat heart; effect of ischemic preconditioning.

Ceramide signalling has been implicated in the mechanism of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (IR). This study tested the hypothesis that ceramides containing a specific amino-linked acyl residue mediate the injury, and that ischemic preconditioning (IPC) affords myocardial protection because it prevents increased ceramide accumulation in IR myocardium. Perfused rat hearts were subjected either to the sham perfusion or to 30 min global ischemia, 30 min ischemia/30 min reperfusion (IR) or were preconditioned prior to the standard IR. The ventricles were harvested for biochemical assay that involved transmethylation of ceramide amino-linked acyl residues, and gas liquid chromatography measurement of acyl methyl esters. Fourteen ceramides containing myrystic, palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, arachidic, arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic, behenic, docosapentaenoic, docosahexaenoic or nervonic acid were identified in the myocardium of rats. The total basal ceramide concentration in the myocardium was 135 nmol/g tissue, and it was increased by 14.1% and 48.4% in the ischemia and IR group, respectively. However, in fact, IR increased the accumulation of only 7 out of 14 ceramides identified in the heart (i.e., those containing palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and arachidonic acid), and the relative magnitude of these increases varied between the particular ceramides and was independent from their basal tissue concentration. IPC improved postischemic hemodynamic recovery and partially prevented the reperfusion-induced increases in these 7 ceramides, while the other ceramides were unaffected by IPC. These results support the role of the specific ceramide signalling in the mechanism of myocardial IR injury. We speculate that by preventing tissue accumulation of certain ceramides, IPC attenuates this signalling, that adds to the mechanism of myocardial protection afforded by IPC.     

A thrombocyte-induced myocardial dysfunction in the ischemic and reperfused guinea pig heart is mediated by reactive oxygen species

In recent investigations, we could demonstrate that thrombocytes are able to contribute to ischemia- and reperfusion-induced injury of the heart. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether reactive oxygen species are responsible for induction of myocardial dysfunction under these conditions. Isolated, perfused, and pressure-volume work–performing guinea pig hearts were exposed to a 30-min low-flow ischemia (1 ml/min) and were reperfused (5 ml/min). Washed, homologous blood platelets were administered as a 1-min bolus (20,000 per microliter of perfusion buffer), either during the 15th minute of ischemia or in the first or fifth minute of reperfusion in the presence of thrombin (0.3 U/ml perfusion buffer)). The radical scavengers superoxide dismutase (SOD; 10 U/ml perfusate) and catalase (30 U/ml perfusate) were added during ischemia or in the first or fifth minute of reperfusion, respectively. Intracoronary platelet retention (in percentage of platelets applied) and recovery of EHW (postischemic EHW in percentage of preischemic EHW) were quantified. Ischemic and reperfused hearts with time-matched application of platelets but without administration of SOD or catalase served as controls. Interestingly, both administration of SOD during ischemia and in reperfusion significantly improved recovery of EHW (88.4 ± 2%, 82.6 ± 1%, and 90 ± 3%, respectively) as compared with the case of controls (56.2 ± 3%, 42 ± 2%, and 75 ± 2%, respectively). Platelet retention, however, was not significantly influenced by administration of SOD during ischemia or reperfusion (26 ± 2%, 31 ± 2%, and 26 ± 2%) compared with controls (30.5 ± 3%, 33 ± 2%, and 22 ± 3%, respectively). Coadministration of catalase, on the other hand, exhibited some cardioprotective potential only in the first minute of reperfusion (recovery, 61% ± 4%) as compared with the case of control (42 ± 2%). We conclude that thrombocytes under conditions of ischemia and reperfusion are able to induce a myocardial dysfunction mediated by reactive oxygen species. Superoxide seems to play a major role in this respect.     

Malondialdehyde is a biochemical marker of peroxidative damage in the isolated reperfused rat heart

Concentration of MDA in isolated control, ischemic, and reperfused rat hearts was determined by using a new sensitive and reproducible HPLC method on the perchloric acid extract of the freeze-clamped tissues. By means of this HPLC assay for the direct measurements of MDA, concentrations of adenine nucleotide derivatives were also obtained in the same chromatographic run. Under the present experimental conditions, no detectable amount of MDA could be observed in control hearts while ischemic hearts showed 0.009moles/g d. w. of MDA (s. d. = 0.001), this value representing the sensitivity limit of the method employed. On the contrary, reperfused hearts showed 0.118moles/g d.w. of MDA (s.d. = 0.036), thereby indicating that this compound originates from an oxygen free radical-mediated breakdown of phospholipids and demonstrating the existence of quantifiable molecular damage occurring upon reperfusion. On the whole, our data demonstrate that MDA, if properly assayed, is a reliable index of peroxidative injury to biological systems. (Mol Cell Biochem116: 193–196, 1992)Abbreviations Ado Adenosine - d.w. dry weight - HPLC High-Performance Liquid Chromatography - Hyp Hypoxanthine - Ino Inosine - MDA Malondialdehyde - Xan Xanthine     

Effects of chronic caloric restriction on mitochondrial respiration in the ischemic reperfused rat heart

Dietary restriction increases life span and delays the development of age-related diseases in rodents. We have recently demonstrated that chronic dietary restriction is beneficial on recovery of heart function following ischemia. We studied whether the metabolic basis of this benefit is associated with alterations in mitochondrial respiration. Male Wistar rats were assigned to an ad libitum-fed (AL) group and a food restricted (FR) group, in which food intake was reduced to 55% of the amount consumed by the AL group. Following an 8-month period of restricted caloric intake, isolated working hearts perfused with glucose and high levels of fatty acids were subjected to global ischemia followed by reperfusion. At the end of reperfusion, total heart mitochondria was respiration was assessed in the presence of pyruvate, tricarboxylic acid intermediates, and palmitoylcarnitine. Recovery of heart function following ischemia was greater in FR hearts compared to AL hearts. Paralleling these changes in heart function was in increase in state 3 respiration with pyruvate. The respiratory control ratios in the presence of pyruvate and tricarboxylic acid intermediates were higher in FR hearts compared to AL hearts, indicating well-coupled mitochondria. Overall energy production, expressed as the ADP:O ratio and the oxidative phosphorylation rate, was also improved in FR hearts. Our results indicate that the beneficial effect of FR on recovery of heart function following ischemia is associated with changes in mitochondrial respiration.     

Measurement of superoxide-derived free radicals in the reperfused heart. Evidence for a free radical mechanism of reperfusion injury

There has been considerable controversy regarding the role of oxygen free radicals as important mediators of cell damage in reperfused myocardium. This controversy regards whether superoxide and hydroxyl free radicals are generated on reperfusion and if these radicals actually cause impaired contractile function. In this study, EPR studies using the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyroline-n-oxide (DMPO) demonstrate the formation of .OH and R. free radicals in the reperfused heart. EPR signals of DMPO-OH, aN = aH = 14.9 G, and DMPO-R aN = 15.8 G aH = 22.8 G are observed, with peak concentrations during the first minute of reperfusion. It is demonstrated that these radicals are derived from .O2- since reperfusion in the presence of enzymatically active recombinant human superoxide dismutase markedly reduced the formation of these signals while inactive recombinant human superoxide dismutase had no effect. On reperfusion with perfusate pretreated to remove adventitial iron, the concentration of the DMPO-OH signal was increased 2-fold and a 4-fold decrease in the DMPO-R signal was observed demonstrating that iron-mediated Fenton chemistry occurs. Hearts reperfused with recombinant human superoxide dismutase exhibited improved contractile function in parallel with the marked reduction in measured free radicals. In order to determine if the reperfusion free radical burst results in impaired contractile function, simultaneous measurements of free radical generation and contractile function were performed. A direct relationship between free radical generation and subsequent impaired contractile function was observed. These studies suggest that superoxide derived .OH and R. free radicals are generated in the reperfused heart via Fenton chemistry. These radicals appear to be key mediators of myocardial reperfusion injury.     

Time related changes in calcium handling in the isolated ischemic and reperfused rat heart

The main aim of this study was to assess the kinetics of intracellular free calcium (Ca²⁺ _i) handling by isolated rat hearts rendered ischemic for 30 min followed by 30 min of reperfusion analyzing the upstroke and downslope of the Ca²⁺ _i transient. Changes in mechanical performance and degradation of membrane phospholipids – estimated by tissue arachidonic acid content – were correlated with Ca²⁺ _i levels of the heart. The fluorescence ratio technique was applied to estimate Ca²⁺ _i. The disappearance of mechanical activity of the heart preceded that of the Ca²⁺ _i transient in the first 2 min of ischemia. The slope of upstroke of the Ca²⁺ _i transient, reflecting Ca²⁺ release, decreased by 60%, while the duration of the downslope of the transient, reflecting Ca²⁺ sequestration, expressed a significant prolongation (105 ± 17 vs. 149 ± 39 msec) during the first 3 min of ischemia. At about 20 min of ischemia end-diastolic pressure expressed a 3.5-fold increase (contracture) when the fluorescence ratio showed a 2-fold elevation. Reperfusion was accompanied with a further precipitous increase in end-diastolic pressure, while resting Ca²⁺ _i remained at end-ischemic levels. Increases in the arachidonic acid (AA) content of the ischemic and postischemic hearts were proportional to Ca²⁺ _i levels. In summary, the present findings indicate that both calcium release and removal are hampered during the early phase of ischemia. Moreover, a critical level of Ca²⁺ _i and a critical duration of ischemia may exist to provoke contracture of the heart. Upon reperfusion the hearts show membrane phospholipid degradation and signs of stunning exemplified by elevated AA levels, partial recovery of Ca²⁺ _i handling and sustained depression of mechanical performance.     

Protection by salvianolic acid A against adriamycin toxicity on rat heart mitochondria.

It was found that salvianolic acid A (Sai A) has potent antioxidant activity. The effects of Sai A on adriamycin-induced heart mitochondrial toxicity of rats in vitro and on adriamycin antitumor activity are investigated in this article. Malondialdehyde (MDA) formation and membrane rigidification of rat heart mitochondria intoxicated with adriamycin were significantly reduced by Sai A. In the electron spin resonance (ESR) studies, Sai A has no significant effect on the formation of adriamycin semiquinone radicals (AQ.), while hydroxyl radicals generated by electron transfer from AQ. to H2O2 were scavenged by Sai A dose-dependently. On the other hand, Sai A was shown to have no effects on the antitumor activity of adriamycin in cultured L1210 ascitic tumor cells and in mice with P388 ascite tumor. These results indicate that Sai A protects against adriamycin induced heart mitochondrial toxicity of rats, while Sai A has no antagonizing effect on the antitumor activity of adriamycin.     

Calmodulin antagonist reduces release of malondialdehyde from isolated ischemic/reperfused rat heart

To investigate the role of Ca-calmodulin complex in the development of myocardial injury caused by ischemia and reperfusion, an isolated working rat hearts were subjected to ischemia/reperfusion with and without calmodulin antagonist, trifluoperazine (TFP 5 x 10(-7)M) in the perfusion medium. In TFP-treated hearts postischemic recovery of hemodynamic function was markedly improved and the release of LDH and malondialdehyde (MDA) significantly reduced as compared with control hearts. It is concluded that: 1) calmodulin-dependent mechanism seems to be involved in peroxidative injury of cellular membranes, 2) cardioprotective effect of TFP results at least in part from prevention of membrane damage caused by lipid peroxidation.     

Cardioprotective effects of erythropoietin in the reperfused ischemic heart: a potential role for cardiac fibroblasts

Erythropoietin has recently been shown to have effects beyond hematopoiesis such as prevention of neuronal and cardiac apoptosis secondary to ischemia. In this study, we evaluated the in vivo protective potential of erythropoietin in the reperfused rabbit heart following ventricular ischemia. We show that "preconditioning" with erythropoietin activates cell survival pathways in myocardial tissue in vivo and adult rabbit cardiac fibroblasts in vitro. These pathways, activated by erythropoietin in both whole hearts and cardiac fibroblasts, are also activated acutely by ischemia/reperfusion injury. Moreover, in vivo studies indicate that erythropoietin treatment either prior to or during ischemia significantly enhances cardiac function and recovery, including left ventricular contractility, following myocardial ischemia/reperfusion. Our data indicate that a contributing in vivo cellular mechanism of this protection is mitigation of myocardial cell apoptosis. This results in decreased infarct size as evidenced by area at risk studies following in vivo ischemia/reperfusion injury, translating into more viable myocardium and less ventricular dysfunction. Therefore, erythropoietin treatment may offer novel protection against ischemic heart disease and may act, at least in part, by direct action on cardiac fibroblasts and myocytes to alter survival and ventricular remodeling.     

Acetaminophen in the post-ischemia reperfused myocardium

Acetaminophen was administered acutely at the onset of reperfusion after 20 min of low-flow, global myocardial ischemia in isolated, perfused guinea pig hearts (Langendorff) to evaluate its influence in the postischemia, reperfused myocardium. Similarly prepared hearts were treated with vehicle or with uric acid (another phenol for comparison). Functionally, acetaminophen-treated hearts (0.35 mM) achieved significantly greater recovery during reperfusion. For example, left ventricular developed pressures at 40 min reperfusion were 38 +/- 3, 27 +/- 3, and 20 +/- 2 in the presence of acetaminophen (P < 0.05, relative to the other two groups), vehicle, and uric acid, respectively. Coronary perfusion pressures and calculated coronary vascular resistances, in the acetaminophen-treated hearts, were significantly lower at the same time (e.g., coronary perfusion pressures in the three groups, respectively, were 40 +/- 2 [P < 0.05], 51 +/- 3, and 65 +/- 12 mm Hg). Under baseline, control conditions, creatine kinase ranged from 12-15 units/liter in the three groups. It increased to 35-40 units/liter (P < 0.05) during ischemia but was significantly reduced by acetaminophen during reperfusion (e.g., 5.3 +/- 0.8 units/liter at 40 min). Oxidant-mediated chemiluminescence in all three treatment groups during baseline conditions and ischemia was similar (i.e., approximately 1.5-2.0 min for peak luminescence to reach its half maximal value). It took significantly more time during reperfusion for the oxidation of luminol in the presence of acetaminophen (>20 min, P < 0.05) than in its absence (3-8 min in uric acid- and vehicle-treated hearts). These results suggest that administration of acetaminophen (0.35 mM), at the onset of reperfusion, provides anti-oxidant-mediated cardioprotection in the postischemia, reperfused myocardium.     

Inhibition of phosphatase activity enhances preconditioning and limits cell death in the ischemic/reperfused aged rat heart

Brief, nonlethal episodes of ischemia in the mammalian heart provide cardioprotection against the detrimental effects of a longer duration ischemia. The manifestation of this preconditioning (PC) phenomenon is initiated by the enhanced phosphorylation state of signal transduction proteins. We reported previously that PC is decreased in the aged rat myocardium. Although the mechanism responsible for this loss is not understood, a reduction in the phosphorylation of critical proteins associated with PC may be postulated. Experiments were conducted to investigate whether PC in the aged heart can be restored with the inhibition of endogenous protein phosphatases thereby enhancing phosphorylation of signaling proteins. Levels of phosphatase activities were also assessed with adult heart aging. Hearts from young adult (3-4 mo.) and aged (21-22 mo.) Fischer-344 rats were perfused in the presence or absence of okadaic acid (OKA; 0.1 microM). Aged adult hearts were either not preconditioned or were preconditioned with two PC cycles (5 min ischemia/5 min reperfusion). Myocardial cellular death that developed with a subsequent ischemia was determined with triphenyltetrazolium. With PC, 55% of the aged heart after ischemia was no longer viable. OKA administered before or after ischemia reduced this ischemia-induced cellular death by 29%. Without PC, OKA reduced viability 18% only when present before and after the ischemic episode. OKA in the ischemic young heart during reperfusion reduced the loss of viability 31%. The Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity was found to be up to 82% greater in ventricular myocardium of aged rats. In conclusion, aging-induced changes in protein dephosphorylation may be one mechanism reducing the manifestation of preconditioning in the aged heart.