Abstract 359: Higher ROS Generation and Lower Threshold of mPTP Opening May Underlie Increased Vulnerability of Late Pregnant Heart to Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Abstract

Although the murine late pregnant (LP) heart is speculated to be a better functioning heart during physiological conditions, the susceptibility of LP hearts to I/R injury is still unknown. The aims of this study were to investigate the cardiac vulnerability of LP rodents to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and to explore its underlying mechanisms. In-vivo female rat hearts (non-pregnant (NP) or LP) or Langendorff-perfused mouse hearts were subjected to ischemia followed by reperfusion. The infarct size was ∼4 fold larger in LP compared to NP both in the in-vivo rat model and ex-vivo mouse model. The hemodynamic parameters were similar between NP and LP before ischemia. However, the postischemic functional recovery was extremely poor in LP mice comparing to NP mice. RPP was reduced from 12818±1213mmHg*beats/min in NP to 1617± 287mmHg*beats/min in LP mice at the end of reperfusion. Interestingly, all of the hemodynamic parameters almost fully recovered in hearts seven days post-partum (PP7)( RPP= 9604±1215 mmHg*beats/min). To explore the mitochondrial function involvement in the higher vulnerability of LP hearts to I/R injury, mitochondrial respiration and ROS production were measured. Respiratory control index(RCI) were significantly decreased in LP subjected to I/R compared to NP and PP7 (RCI=1.9±0.1 in LP, 4.0±0.5 in NP and 3.9±0.5 in PP7, P<0.05 LP vs. NP and PP7). The superoxide production was also significantly higher in isolated cardiac mitochondria from LP hearts subjected to I/R injury (10.7±1.7mM/min/mg protein in NP; 21.3±3.1mM/min/mg protein in LP and 9.3±3.3mM/min/mg protein in PP7; p<0.05 LP vs. NP and PP7). The threshold for opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) in response to Ca2+ overload was much lower in LP hearts (calcium retention capacity(CRC)=167±10 nmol/mg-mitochondrial protein) compared with NP (233±18 nmol/mg-mitochondrial protein) and PP7 (260±12 nmol/mg-mitochondrial protein, P<0.01). In conclusion, the higher susceptibility of LP hearts to I/R injury is associated with a lower threshold for triggering the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening in response to Ca2+ overload which may at least be in part due to higher ROS generation and lower mitochondrial respiration.