Ischemic Preconditioning In Rat Heart Research Articles

Angiotensin (1-7) facilitates cardioprotection of ischemic preconditioning on ischemia-reperfusion-challenged rat heart.

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is one of the most promising strategies used to protect the myocardium from ischemia-reperfusion injury. Ang (1-7) exhibits cardioprotective activity; however, its therapeutic potential on IPC-induced cardioprotection has not been reported in ischemia-reperfusion injury till date. Therefore, the first set of experiment was designed to evaluate the direct effect of Ang (1-7), in perfusion medium, on cardioprotective activity of IPC in rat heart challenged to ischemia-reperfusion injury. In addition, the acute and chronic effects of pretreated Ang (1-7) were investigated on cardioprotection of IPC in ischemia-reperfusion-challenged hearts in subsequent sets of experiments. The results showed that Ang (1-7) potentiated the IPC-induced increase in coronary flow and heart rate, decrease in lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase activity, ventricular fibrillation, and infarct size in ischemia-reperfusion-challenged animals in direct and chronic sets of experiments. Further, Ang (1-7) enhanced the IPC-induced attenuation in mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in ischemia-reperfusion-challenged hearts in both sets of experiments. A-779, Mas receptor antagonist, abrogated potentiation effects of Ang (1-7) on IPC-induced cardioprotection in ischemia-reperfusion-challenged rats in the above set of experiments. These observations indicate that Ang (1-7)/Mas receptor activation could be a potential adjuvant to IPC during ischemia-reperfusion-induced cardiac injury.

Effects of wortmannin on cardioprotection exerted by ischemic preconditioning in rat hearts subjected to ischemia-reperfusion.

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is one of the most powerful interventions to reduce ischemia-reperfusion injury. The aim of the present study was to investigate the involvement of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases (PI3Ks) family in cardioprotection exerted by IPC and the relationship between preservation of mitochondrial morphology and ATP synthesis capacity. In this regard, macroautophagy (autophagy) is considered a dynamic process involved in the replacement of aged or defective organelles under physiological conditions. IPC consisted of four 5-min cycles of ischemia-reperfusion followed by sustained ischemia. Wortmannin (W), a PI3K family inhibitor, was added to the perfusion medium to study the involvement of autophagy in the beneficial effects of IPC. In the present study, LC3-II/I expression was significantly increased in the IPC group when compared with the control group. The hearts subjected to IPC showed greater degradation of p62 than control groups, establishing the existence of an autophagic flow. Electron microscopy showed that IPC preserves the structural integrity of mitochondria after ischemia and at the end of reperfusion. Moreover, hearts subjected to IPC exhibited increased mitochondrial ATP synthesis. The beneficial effects of IPC were abolished by W in all trials of this study, abolishing the differences between the IPC and control groups. These results suggest that IPC could partly reduce injury by ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) by decreasing mitochondrial damage and promoting autophagy. Since W is a nonspecific inhibitor of the PI3Ks family, further research is required to confirm participation of PI3K in the response to IPC.

Studies of Ischemic Preconditioning Mechanisms in Langendorff Rat Heart Model the Impact of Phosphocreatin Kinase and ATP Sensitive Potasium Channels Pharmachological Openers and Blockers on Cardioprotection

Abstract Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) induced by administration of brief episodes of ischemia-reperfusion represents a protective mechanism of the heart against prolonged episodes of ischemia. Although the mechanism of ischemic preconditioning has been extensively studied, however, until now it is insufficient elucidated. Using a Langendorff rat heart model with 45 minutes ischemia followed by 120 minute reperfusion we aimed to evaluate the role of Phosphocreatin Kinase-C (PCK) in ischemic rat myocardium and demonstration of its involvment in the path of pharmachological preconditioning (PP) by using PKC activators 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol (DOG) and inhibitors chelerythrine (CHE) and evaluation of the role of K ATP channels in pharmachological preconditioning (PP) mechanism by administration of a K ATP channel opener (Cromakalim) (CRK) or by blocking the opening of K ATP channels with glibenclamide(GLB). The activators of PCK(DOG) and of K ATP channel (CRK) limited the infarct size when perfused before lethal ischemia, mimicking the ischemic preconditioning in rat heart When activator of PCK DOG + GLB, a K ATP channel inhibitor were coperfused before the lethal ischemia, there was an increase in myocardial infarct size, expressed as a percentage of the area at risk, versus control, the cardioprotective effect of DOG being abolished by GLB. The same results were obtained when CHE the inhibitor of PCK was coperfused with CRK the activator of K ATP channel. The effect of CHE and GLB perfused at the beginning of IPC resulted in loss of protection accompanied by a significant increase in infarct size area. The finding that treatment with a DOG PKC activator and CRK activator of K ATP channel gives a similar degree of protection against infarction as that seen after ischemic preconditioning and that this protection can be blocked by CHE a PCK pharmachological inhibitor provides support for the hypothesis that PKC plays a pivotal role in ischemic preconditioning. Our data may have a significance in pharmachological preconditioning (PP) with decrease in infarct size as an end point.

Enhanced expression of let-7f after ischemic preconditioning in rat heart is cardioprotective

Enhanced expression of let-7f after ischemic preconditioning in rat heart is cardioprotective

Antiapoptotic effect of calcitonin gene-related peptide on oxidative stress-induced injury in H9c2 cardiomyocytes via the RAMP1/CRLR complex

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) plays an important role in the mediation of protective effects observed in situations such as ischemic preconditioning in rat hearts. In this study, we investigated in H9c2 rat cardiomyoblasts if the protective effect of CGRP could be linked to an inhibitory effect on the apoptotic pathway. We also determined the specificity of observed effects by treatment with adrenomedullin (ADM) in stress conditions generated by 100 μM hydrogen peroxide. Using MTT assays, we demonstrate that a pretreatment with CGRP decreases by half the loss of cell viability induced by H 2O 2. CGRP inhibits phosphatidylserine externalization, caspase 3 activation and DNA fragmentation due to oxidative stress. Using RT-PCR, we observed an increase in Bcl-2 mRNA expression induced by CGRP treatment. Dot blotting experiments showed that, in stress conditions, Bcl-2 protein level decreases while Bax is increased. CGRP administration prior to stress prevents these effects. The three-receptor activity modifying protein (RAMP) isotypes were detected by RT-PCR in H9c2 cells and in left ventricle rat tissue, RAMP1 and RAMP3 being the most abundant in both cases. RAMP1 expression was upregulated by CGRP while RAMP3 mRNA level was decreased. Cell viability assessed by MTT indicates that, contrary to CGRP, pretreatment of stressed cells with ADM, a RAMP2 agonist, fails to protect them while treatment with CGRP 8–37 (a RAMP1 and 2 inhibitor) abolished CGRP protective effect. Taken together, these data suggest that CGRP has antiapoptotic properties through the RAMP1/CRLR complex. CGRP could be used to prevent apoptosis in an ischemia–reperfusion context.

Gene transfer of 2 adrenergic receptor enhances cardioprotective effects of ischemic preconditioning in rat hearts after myocardial infarction

The purpose of the present study was to determine a role of beta(2) adrenergic receptor (beta(2)AR) in ischemic preconditioning (IPC) response. Post-myocardial infarction (MI) hearts were produced by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery for 2 weeks. Post-MI hearts were transfected with the empty virus (Empty-vivo) or beta(2)AR cDNA (beta(2)AR-vivo) by intracoronary infusion of hemagglutinating virus of Japan-liposome. Empty-vivo or beta(2)AR-vivo hearts were subjected to Langendorff perfusion as Control or beta(2)AR hearts, respectively. IPC was undertaken in Control(IPC) and beta(2)AR(IPC+beta(2)AR). After global ischemia, seven hearts in each group were reperfused and normalized left ventricular peak developed pressures (LVPDP) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) leakage were measured. beta(2)AR gene transfection was confirmed by measuring responsiveness to isoproterenol, real time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistory. IPC preserved LVPDP and reduced CPK leakage in IPC+beta(2)AR hearts as compared with IPC hearts. LVPDP was decreased in addition to increase in CPK leakage in beta(2)AR hearts as compared with Control. Expression of beta(2)AR and responsiveness to isoproterenol were increased in beta(2)AR-vivo as compared with Empty-vivo hearts. These results indicate that beta(2)AR are required to generate IPC effects, and that beta(2)AR gene transfection enhances IPC effects in post-MI hearts.

Activation of β2-adrenergic receptor plays a pivotal role in generating the protective effect of ischemic preconditioning in rat hearts

Background. Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) protects hearts against ischemia by reducing infarct size. However, IPC does not preserve cardiac function, such as left ventricular peak developed pressure (LVPDP). Moreover, IPC fails to protect the post-myocardial infarct (MI) heart. Design. Rat hearts were transfected with β2-adrenergic receptor (B2AR) cDNA by the hemagglutinating virus of Japan–liposome method. After the gene transfer, the hearts were perfused in a Langendorff mode and preconditioned with two cycles of 5 min of ischemia and reperfusion. After 20 min of global ischemia, the hearts were reperfused under aerobic conditions for 90 min. LVPDP was measured as an indicator of the cardiac function. Results. LVPDP of ischemic hearts was well preserved by the combination treatment of IPC and gene transfer of B2AR, but not IPC or gene transfer of B2AR alone. Moreover, the treatment was beneficial to even the post-MI heart. On the contrary, gene transfer of β-adrenergic receptor kinase 1 (BARK1) reduced the protective effect of IPC. We also found that the mRNA ratio of B2AR and BARK1 was well correlated with the preservation of the LVPDP. Conclusions. The combination treatment of IPC and gene transfer of B2AR protects cardiac function against ischemia and it shows the beneficial effect also in post-MI hearts.

Down-regulation of Connexin43 in Early Myocardial Ischemia and Protective Effect by Ischemic Preconditioning in Rat Hearts In Vivo

Down-regulation of Connexin43 in Early Myocardial Ischemia and Protective Effect by Ischemic Preconditioning in Rat Hearts In Vivo

Down-regulation of Connexin43 in Early Myocardial Ischemia and Protective Effect by Ischemic Preconditioning in Rat Hearts In Vivo

Connexin 43 (Cx43), a primary component of gap junctions, contributes to intercellular electrochemical communication. Cx43 undergoes dephosphorylation in early ischemia. We examined whether Cx43 is degraded in association with dephosphorylation during early myocardial ischemia and whether ischemic preconditioning (IP) affects the degradation after rat coronary artery occlusion. Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent coronary artery occlusion for 1, 2, or 3 hours, or for 1 hour following treatment either with a calcineurin inhibitor (cyclosporine A), proteasome inhibitor (PSI), or lysosomal inhibitor (E64c), or following IP alone or after protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor (chelerythrine) pretreatment. The IP was afforded by three cycles of 3 minute ischemia and 5 minute reperfusion. A large portion of the phosphorylated Cx43 (pCx43) in the membrane fraction was dephosphorylated, while a small portion was degraded at 1 hour of ischemia. The effects of the inhibitors were dephosphorylation and degradation by calcineurin and proteasome/lysosome, respectively. IP suppressed the decrease in pCx43 and increase in dCx43, while only the former was inhibited by the PKC inhibitor chelerythrine. The Cx43 mRNA level was reduced at 3 hours, but not at 1 hour of ischemia, irrespective of IP. We believe that Cx43 is dephosphorylated and degraded in early ischemia, whereas Cx43 transcription was suppressed at a later phase of ischemia.

Activation of alpha 1-adrenoceptors is not essential for the mediation of ischaemic preconditioning in rat heart.

1. The aim of the present study was to clarify the role of alpha1-adrenoceptors in the mechanism of ischaemic preconditioning (IP). 2. Rat isolated perfused hearts were either non- preconditioned, preconditioned with 5 min ischaemia or treated for 5 min with alpha1-adrenoceptor agonists (50 micromol/L phenylephrine; 0.1, 0.5 and 1 micromol/L methoxamine) before being subjected to 45 min of sustained ischaemia followed by 60 min reperfusion. 3. Within each of the above protocols, hearts were divided into groups to which alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonists (prazosin, 5'-methyl urapidil and chloroethylclonidine (CEC)) were administered. Functional recovery and infarct size were used as indices of the effects of ischaemia. Ischaemic contracture characteristics and maximal diastolic pressure during reflow were also assessed. 4. Blockade of alpha(1)-adrenoceptors with prazosin or the subtype-selective antagonists 5'-methyl urapidil and CEC did not abolish the protective effect of IP with respect to both functional recovery and infarct size reduction. 5. Protection afforded by phenylephrine was attenuated in hearts treated with prazosin or the alpha(1B)-adrenoceptor- selective antagonist CEC, but not in those treated with the alpha(1A)-adrenoceptor-selective antagonist 5'-methyl urapidil. 6. Treatment with low concentrations of methoxamine, considered to be alpha(1A)-adrenoceptor selective, did not confer any protection to the ischaemic myocardium. 7. A close relationship between accelerated ischaemic contracture and enhanced cardioprotection was observed. 8. The results suggest that alpha1-adrenoceptor stimulation mimics IP, but it is not an essential component in the mechanism behind the protective effect of IP in rat heart. In addition, the present study demonstrates that stimulation of the alpha(1B)- but not the alpha(1A)-adrenoceptor subtype is responsible for the catecholamine-induced protection of ischaemic myocardium in rat.

The p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB203580, abrogates ischaemic preconditioning in rat heart but timing of administration is critical.

There is debate concerning the involvement of p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) in the mediation of ischaemic preconditioning. Pharmacological inhibition of p38 MAPK with SB203580 has been reported to block preconditioning in some studies but not in others. We hypothesised that this divergence could be due to differences in the timing of inhibitor administration. Isolated rat hearts were perfused in the Langendorff mode and subjected to 35 min regional ischaemia followed by 120 min reperfusion. Hearts were then double stained with Evans' blue and triphenyltetrazolium chloride to determine risk (R) and infarct zones (I), expressed as I/R% ratios. Preconditioned hearts were subjected to 2 times 5 min global ischaemia with 10 min intervening reperfusion. SB203580 10 microM was perfused either during the preconditioning protocol (PC+/-SB-early),just prior to and during the first 15 min of the lethal ischaemia (PC+/-SB-late) or prior to regional ischaemia in the absence of preconditioning. Ischaemic preconditioning significantly limited infarct size (I/R 38.9 +/- 3.0% in control vs 13.4 +/- 2.4%, P < 0.01). In the PC+/-SB-early group, preconditioning was still fully protective (I/R% 14.6 +/- 1.0). However, in the PC+/-SB-late group, SB203580 completely blocked the protection afforded by preconditioning (I/R% 33.6 +/- 4.4%, P < 0.01 vs 13.4 +/- 2.4% in preconditioned hearts, p < 0.05). SB203580 alone did not affect infarct size when given prior to and during regional ischaemia (I/R 36.2 +/- 2.7%). These histological data are corroborated by a significant increase in p38 MAPK activation in the preconditioned hearts during sustained ischaemia in comparison with the controls. In conclusion the activation of p38 MAPK during lethal ischaemia, but not during the ischaemic preconditioning protocol, is essential for the mediation of protection and may resolve some of the earlier controversy surrounding the use of SB203580 in preconditioning studies.

Myocardial protection using diadenosine tetraphosphate with pharmacological preconditioning

Background. We have reported a similar cardioprotective effect and mechanism of diadenosine tetraphosphate (AP4A) and ischemic preconditioning in rat hearts. In this study, the applicability of AP4A administration to cardiac surgery was tested by using a canine cardiopulmonary bypass model. Methods. Hearts underwent 60 minutes of cardioplegic arrest (34°C) by a single dose of cardioplegia. Cardioplegia contained either AP4A (40 μmol/L; n = 6) or saline (n = 6). Beagles were weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass 30 minutes after reperfusion, and left ventricular function was evaluated after another 30 minutes by using the cardiac loop analysis system. Results. Administration of AP4A significantly improved the postischemic recovery of cardiac function and reduced the leakage of serum creatine kinase compared with saline. Systemic vascular resistance, mean aortic blood pressure, and the electrocardiographic indices were not significantly altered by AP4A administration. Conclusions. Administration of AP4A was cardioprotective without apparent adverse effects. Because the cardioprotective mechanism may be similar to that of ischemic preconditioning, the addition of AP4A into cardioplegia may be a novel safe method for clinical application of preconditioning cardioprotection.

Translocation of HSP27 to Sarcomere Induced by Ischemic Preconditioning in Isolated Rat Hearts

We investigated the role of the 27-kDa heat shock protein (HSP27) in cardiac protection using Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. After preconditioning (a single episode of 5 min global ischemia followed by 5 min of reperfusion), HSP27 redistributed from the cytosol to the sarcomere and recovery of the contractile function, after 40 min of global ischemia and 50 min of reperfusion, was significantly enhanced. Both SB203580, a p38 MAP kinase inhibitor, and bisindolylmaleimide I, a protein kinase C inhibitor, prevented the effects of preconditioning. Both 2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyladenosine (adenosine A1 agonist) and anisomycin (activator of p38 MAP kinase and c-jun N-terminal kinase) mimicked preconditioning. These results suggest that activation of protein kinase C followed by activation of p38 MAP kinase elicits translocation of HSP27 to the sarcomere, a process which may be involved in the cardioprotective mechanism afforded by ischemic preconditioning in rat heart.

Induction of 72-kDa heat shock protein does not produce second window of ischemic preconditioning in rat heart.

Ischemic preconditioning (PC) induces delayed phase of protection, known as the second window of protection (SWOP). We investigated this phenomenon in rat and correlated it with the expression of 72-kDa heat shock protein (HSP 72). Rats were preconditioned with 1, 2, and 3 cycles of 5-min left anterior descending artery occlusions, each separated by a 10-min reperfusion (PC x 1, PC x 2 and PC x 3, respectively). Another group of rats was preconditioned with heat shock (HS) by raising temperature to 42 degreesC for 15 min. Twenty-four hours later, rats were given sustained ischemia for 30 min and 90 min of reperfusion. Infarct sizes (%risk area) were 40.0 +/- 7.5, 37.6 +/- 5.6, and 47.6 +/- 2.4 (mean +/- SE) for PC x 1, PC x 2, and PC x 3 hearts, respectively, which were not different from the sham (49.9 +/- 3.9, P > 0.05). In contrast, infarct size was reduced from 47.5 +/- 3.8% in sham to 4.7 +/- 2.3% (P < 0.01) 24 h after HS. Additionally, early PC significantly reduced infarct size from 47.5 +/- 3.8% in controls to 6.0 +/- 1.2 and 5.0 +/- 1.1% with PC x 1 and PC x 3. Repeated PC cycles induced over a threefold increase in HSP 70 mRNA after 2 h compared with sham (P < 0.05). HSP 72, which increased 24 h after PC or HS, was not significantly different between the two PC stimuli. We conclude that PC does not induce SWOP in rat heart despite enhanced expression of HSP 72. In contrast, HS-induced delayed protection was associated with enhanced accumulation of HSP 72. It is possible that SWOP and HS have distinct mechanisms of protection that may not be exclusively related to HSP 72 expression.

Pretreatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors partially attenuates ischemic preconditioning in rat hearts.

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) confers cardioprotection against a prolonged ischemic insult. Tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibitors have been shown to attenuate IPC; however, it is unclear whether TK is involved in the initiation of and/or the maintenance of this phenomenon. Thus the hypothesis that TK acts primarily during the initiation of IPC was examined in a rat model of myocardial infarction. Hearts were subjected to 30 min of coronary artery occlusion and 2 h of reperfusion. IPC was elicited by three 5-min occlusions interspersed with 5 min of reperfusion before the prolonged occlusion period. Genistein, a nonspecific TK inhibitor, was administered before or during the final 2 min of the first or third occlusion period of IPC. Daidzein, an inactive structural analog of genistein, and lavendustin A, a more specific TK inhibitor, were also tested in this model. IPC markedly reduced infarct size expressed as a percentage of the area at risk compared with control (56.3 +/- 2.8 to 7.1 +/- 2.0%). This cardioprotection was attenuated by genistein pretreatment (5 mg/kg: 34.7 +/- 2.2%, 10 mg/kg: 33.5 +/- 5.9%). However, genistein administered during the first or third occlusion period of IPC did not significantly attenuate cardioprotection (10.3 +/- 2.9% and 6.4 +/- 2.0%). Lavendustin A (1. 0 mg/kg) pretreatment also attenuated IPC (30.1 +/- 2.2%), whereas daidzein (5 mg/kg) had no effect (7.9 +/- 2.4%). These results suggest that activation of a TK is involved in the initiation but not the maintenance of IPC in the rat myocardium.

Ischemic preconditioning in the intact rat heart is mediated by delta1- but not mu- or kappa-opioid receptors.

Our laboratory has previously shown that delta-opioid receptors are involved in the cardioprotective effect of ischemic preconditioning in the rat heart. However, this class of receptors consists of two subtypes, delta1, and delta2, and mu- or kappa-opioid receptors may also exist in the heart. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that ischemic preconditioning is mediated through stimulation of one or both delta-opioid receptor subtypes. Anesthetized, open chest, male Wistar rats were assigned to 1 of 14 groups. All animals were subjected to 30 minutes of occlusion and 2 hours of reperfusion. Ischemic preconditioning was elicited by three 5-minute occlusion periods interspersed with 5 minutes of reperfusion. Two doses of 7-benzylidenenaltrexone (BNTX; 1 and 3 mg/kg i.v.), a selective delta1-opioid receptor antagonist, or naltriben (NTB; 1 and 3 mg/kg i.v.), a selective delta2-opioid receptor antagonist, were given before ischemic preconditioning. To test for a role of mu-opioid receptors, rats were pretreated with beta-funaltrexamine (beta-FNA; 15 mg/kg s.c), an irreversible mu-opioid receptor antagonist, 24 hours before ischemic preconditioning or given the mu-opioid receptor agonist D-Ala,2N-Me-Phe,4glycerol5-enkephalin (DAMGO) as three 5-minute infusions (1, 10, and 100 microg/kg per infusion i.v., respectively) interspersed with 5-minute drug-free periods before the prolonged ischemic and reperfusion periods (lowDAMGO, medDAMGO, and hiDAMGO, respectively). The involvement of kappa-opioid receptors was tested by administering one of two doses of nor-binaltorphimine (nor-BNI; 1 and 5 mg/kg i.v.) before ischemic preconditioning. Infarct size (IS) as a percent of the area at risk (AAR) was measured by triphenyltetrazolium stain. Ischemic preconditioning markedly reduced IS/AAR (14+/-4%, P<.05) compared with control (55+/-4%). NTB, beta-FNA, and nor-BNI were unable to block the cardioprotective effect of ischemic preconditioning. In addition, DAMGO had no effect on IS/AAR. However, the high dose of BNTX (3 mg/kg i.v.) significantly attenuated the cardioprotective effect of ischemic preconditioning (39+/-5%; P<.05 versus control and ischemic preconditioning). These results indicate that delta1-opioid receptors play an important role in the cardioprotective effect of ischemic preconditioning in the rat heart.

Ischemic preconditioning in rat heart: no correlation between glycogen content and return of function.

We tested the hypothesis that glycogen levels at the beginning of ischemia affect lactate production during ischemia and postischemic contractile function. Isolated working rat hearts were perfused at physiological workload with bicarbonate buffer containing glucose (10 mmol/L). Hearts were subjected to four different preconditioning protocols, and cardiac function was assessed on reperfusion. Ischemic preconditioning was induced by either one cycle of 5 min ischemia followed by 5, 10, or 20 min of reperfusion (PC5/5, PC5/10, PC5/20), or three cycles of 5 min ischemia followed by 5 min of reperfusion (PC3 x 5/5). All hearts were subjected to 15 min total, global ischemia, followed by 30 min of reperfusion. We measured lactate release, timed the return of aortic flow, compared postischemic to preischemic power, and determined tissue metabolites at selected time points. Compared with preischemic function, cardiac power during reperfusion improved in groups PC5/10 and PC5/20, but was not different from control in groups PC5/5 and PC3 x 5/5. There was no correlation between preischemic glycogen levels and recovery of function during reperfusion. There was also no correlation between glycogen breakdown (or resynthesis) and recovery of function. Lactate accumulation during ischemia was lowest in group PC5/20 and highest in the group with three cycles of preconditioning (PC3 x 5/5). Lactate release during reperfusion was significantly higher in the groups with low recovery of power than in the groups with high recovery of power. In glucose-perfused rat heart recovery of function is independent from both pre- and postischemic myocardial glycogen content over a wide range of glycogen levels. The ability to utilize lactate during reperfusion is an indicator for postischemic return of contractile function.

Purines and ischemic preconditioning in rat hearts

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of resin infiltration on colour changes and surface roughness of artificial white spot lesions (WSLs) on maxillary and mandibular premolar.Sixty (60) extracted sound Maxilla (Mx) and Mandibular (Mn) premolars were randomly divided into 2 groups (test and control). Artificial WSLs were produced on buccal surface of teeth and were immersed in artificial saliva for 8 weeks. Colour components (L∗, a∗, b∗) and surface roughness (Sa∗) were assessed on 40 teeth using colour difference meter RD-100 and Alicona® Infinite Focus profilometer respectively. The measurements were done at baseline (T1), directly after artificial WSLs (T2), after 24 hours immersed in saliva and application of resin (T3) and immersion in artificial saliva for 1 (T4), 2 (T5), 4 (T6), 6 (T7) and 8 (T8) weeks. SEM images analysis were carried out on 20 teeth in four time points.The values of L∗ (lightness), b∗ (yellow/blue) and Sa∗ (surface roughness) are gradually reduced to the baseline value. Whereas, the value of a∗ gradually increased with distinct treatment time to achieve the baseline value. The higher value of L∗ and Sa∗, the whiter the lesion suggesting higher degree of enamel demineralization and surface roughness. Lower L∗ values suggest a masking colour effect.The material produced favorable esthetics on colour and the surface roughness of teeth at distinct treatment times. It is recommended to be used to improve WSL post orthodontic treatment.

The ischemia-selective KATP channel antagonist, 5-hydroxydecanoate, blocks ischemic preconditioning in the rat heart.

Although the KATP channel has been demonstrated to be involved in ischemic preconditioning (IPC) in most species, controversy still exists as to the role of this channel as a mediator of PC in the rat heart. Previously, the authors' laboratories have shown that glibenclamide blocks IPC in the intact rat heart, in a time-dependent manner; however, since glibenclamide has been shown to have non-selective effects unrelated to KATP channel blockade, a structurally dissimilar and ischemia-selective KATP channel blocker, 5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD), was used to further elucidate the role of KATP channels in mediating IPC in the rat heart. Anesthetized, open-chested Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to one of four protocols. In Group I, control (C), rats were subjected to 30 min of left coronary artery occlusion and 90 min of reperfusion. In Group II, IPC was elicited by 1 x 5 min occlusion followed by 10 min of reperfusion, prior to the 30 min occlusion and 90 min reperfusion periods, 5-HD (5 mg/kg, i.v.) was given 15 min prior to the 30 min occlusion period in non-preconditioned animals, or given 15 min prior to IPC (5-HD+IPC) (Groups III and IV, respectively). Infarct size (IS), as a percentage of the area at risk (AAR), was determined by triphenyltetrazolium staining. Ischemic preconditioning produced a marked reduction in infarct size (47.5 +/- 3.8% to 7.9 +/- 1.9%, *P < 0.01), which was completely abolished by 5-HD (50.5 +/- 2.6%). These data further suggest that the opening of KATP channels is an important component of IPC in the intact rat heart, similar to that observed in other species.

Mechanisms of Ischemic Preconditioning in Rat Hearts

Ischemic preconditioning attenuates the effects of subsequent sustained ischemia by a mechanism involving adenosine and G proteins in several species. Adenosine is not involved in ischemic preconditioning of rat hearts, the mechanisms of which are poorly understood. Reduction of isometric tension development was used as an index of the effects of ischemia in isolated, Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. Two 5-minute periods of ischemia followed by 10 minutes of reperfusion attenuated the reduction of developed tension caused by 30 minutes of ischemia and 15 minutes of reperfusion. Pretreatment with pertussis toxin (PTX), depletion of norepinephrine stores with reserpine, or blockade of alpha 1-adrenoceptors with prazosin prevented the effects of ischemic preconditioning. Whereas alpha 1B-receptor blockade with chloroethylclonidine blocked ischemic preconditioning, alpha 1A-receptor blockade with 5-methylurapadil had no effect. The alpha-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine mimicked the effects of ischemic preconditioning in a concentration-dependent manner, and pretreatment with PTX prevented the action of maximally effective concentrations of phenylephrine. The protein kinase C activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate mimicked and the protein kinase C inhibitors 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine and bisindolylmaleimide prevented ischemic preconditioning. Ischemic preconditioning in isolated, perfused rat hearts is caused by stimulation of alpha 1B-adrenoceptors by endogenous catecholamines through the activation of protein kinase C via a PTX-sensitive G protein. The PTX-sensitive inhibitory protein Gi, which can be activated by adenosine, muscarinic agonists, and alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonists, may play a central role in ischemic preconditioning mediated by protein kinase C across a broad range of species.