Myocardial Manganese Superoxide Dismutase Research Articles

Long-Term Treatment With San’o-Shashin-To, a Kampo Medicine, Markedly Ameliorates Cardiac Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Ovariectomized Rats via the Redox-Dependent Mechanism

Hormone replacement therapy has failed to reduce ischemic cardiovascular events in climacteric women. To explore alternative therapy, we examined whether san'o-shashin-to (TJ-113), a kampo medicine, ameliorates cardiac ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury in a climacteric rat model. Cardiac function and infarct size after IR were significantly exacerbated in ovariectomized rats as compared with sham-operated rats, whereas long-term treatment with a clinical dosage of TJ-113 for 4 weeks markedly improved these functional and morphological changes. Myocardial inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and peroxynitrite levels were significantly higher in ovariectomized rats compared with sham-operated rats, and long-term TJ-113 treatment significantly reduced these oxidative changes. Furthermore, myocardial manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) activity was significantly lower in ovariectomized than in sham-operated rats, and long-term TJ-113 treatment significantly restored antioxidant activity. Importantly, those beneficial actions of TJ-113 were significantly inhibited by the estrogen receptor antagonist, fulvestrant, and the phytoestrogen, emodin, a TJ-113 ingredient, mimicked the actions of TJ-113, suggesting involvement of emodin in the effects of TJ-113. These results provide the first evidence that long-term treatment with a clinical dosage of TJ-113 markedly ameliorates cardiac IR injury in ovariectomized rats via inhibition of iNOS expression, suppression of peroxynitrite formation, and restoration of Mn-SOD activity. TJ-113 may be a novel therapeutic option in the treatment of ischemic heart disease in climacteric women.

Exercise training improves myocardial tolerance to ischemia in male but not in female rats

Acute exercise increases myocardial tolerance to ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury in male but not in female rat hearts, possibly due to a decreased heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) response in the female hearts. This study examined whether repetitive exercise training would increase Hsp70 and myocardial tolerance to I-R injury in female rat hearts. Adaptations in myocardial manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were also assessed. Ten-week old male (M) and female (F) Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 40 total) exercise-trained for 14 wk; the last 8 wk consisted of running 1 h at 30 m/min (2% incline), 5 days/wk. Following training, left ventricle mechanical function (LVMF) was monitored for 30 min of reperfusion following 30 min of global ischemia (Langendorff procedure). Myocardial Hsp70 content was not different in M and F control groups, while increases were observed in both trained groups (M greater than F; P < 0.05). Although MnSOD content did not differ between groups, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) levels were decreased in F, with no change in M, following training (P < 0.05). Hearts from control F demonstrated a greater recuperation of all indices of LVMF following I-R compared with control M hearts (P < 0.05). Hearts of trained M exhibited improved recovery of LVMF (left ventricular diastolic pressure, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, +dP/dt, -dP/dt) during reperfusion compared with control M hearts (P < 0.05). In contrast, hearts of trained F did not show any change in recovery from I-R. Hence, exercise training is more beneficial to M than F in improving myocardial function following I-R injury.

MnSOD antisense treatment and exercise-induced protection against arrhythmias

Exercise provides protection against ischemia–reperfusion (I-R)-induced arrhythmias, myocardial stunning, and infarction. An exercise-induced increase in myocardial manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) activity has been reported to be vital for protection against infarction. However, whether MnSOD is essential for exercise-induced protection against ventricular arrhythmias is unknown. We determined the effects of preventing the exercise-induced increase in MnSOD activity on arrhythmias during I-R resulting in myocardial stunning. Male rats remained sedentary or were subjected to successive bouts of endurance exercise. During in vivo myocardial I-R, the incidence of arrhythmias was significantly lower in the exercise-trained rats than in the sedentary rats as evidenced by the arrhythmia. When exercised rats were pretreated with antisense oligonucleotides directed against MnSOD, protection from arrhythmias was attenuated. Moreover, I-R resulted in significant increases in nitro-tyrosine (NT) in the sedentary group. Exercise abolished this I-R-induced NT formation but this protection was unchanged by antisense treatment. Protein carbonyls were increased by I-R, but neither exercise nor antisense treatment impacted carbonyl formation. These data demonstrate that an exercise-induced increase in MnSOD activity is important for protection against arrhythmias. The mechanism by which MnSOD provides protection does not appear to be linked to protein nitrosylation or oxidation.

Elevated MnSOD is not required for exercise-induced cardioprotection against myocardial stunning.

Endurance exercise provides cardioprotection against ischemia-reperfusion-induced myocardial stunning and infarction. A recent study demonstrates that an exercise-induced increase in myocardial manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) activity is essential to protect the heart against infarction. It is unknown if an elevation in cardiac MnSOD is also a prerequisite to achieve exercise-induced protection against myocardial stunning. Therefore, this study determined if an exercise-induced increase in myocardial MnSOD activity is a requirement to achieve protection against myocardial stunning. Adult male rats remained sedentary or performed successive bouts of endurance exercise. Hearts were exposed to 25 min of global ischemia followed by reperfusion in an isolated working heart preparation. Postischemic recovery of cardiac external work during reperfusion was significantly higher (84 +/- 3 vs. 67 +/- 4%) in exercised animals compared with sedentary controls. Furthermore, prevention of exercise-induced expression of myocardial MnSOD via antisense oligonucleotides did not retard this exercise-induced protection against myocardial stunning. These data demonstrate that exercise-induced increases in cardiac MnSOD activity are not essential to achieve exercise-mediated protection against myocardial stunning. Therefore, we conclude that different mediators are responsible for exercise-induced cardioprotection against myocardial stunning and infarction.

The importance of manganese superoxide dismutase in delayed preconditioning: involvement of reactive oxygen species and cytokines.

It is clinically important to elucidate the mechanism underlying the delayed preconditioning against ischemia-reperfusion injury observed 24-72 h after sublethal stress such as brief ischemia, hyperthermia and exercise. The time course of induction of myocardial manganese-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) and appearance of the ischemic tolerance coincide well, and the percent increase in Mn-SOD activity and percent reduction of infarct size are correlated well under various stresses. Furthermore, treatments with antisense oligodeoxynucleotides to Mn-SOD completely abolished the delayed preconditioning and any increase in Mn-SOD content. These results indicate that Mn-SOD induction plays a pivotal role in the late phase preconditioning afforded with brief ischemia, hyperthermia and exercise. We also showed that cytokines, e.g., tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta, and reactive oxygen species are involved in the process of signal transduction for the Mn-SOD induction.

Adenosine A(1) receptor activation induces delayed preconditioning in rats mediated by manganese superoxide dismutase.

We have previously described a second window of protection against infarction in rabbits 24 to 72 hours after adenosine A(1) receptor (A(1)R) activation. In this study, we examined the potential role of the mitochondrial antioxidant manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) as a potential end effector in mediating this protection. Rats were treated with an intravenous bolus of the A(1)R agonist 2-chloro-N(6)-cyclopentyladenosine (CCPA, 75 microg/kg) or saline vehicle. They were also given a 5 mg/kg IV infusion of a 22-mer phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) with sequence antisense to the initiation site of rat Mn-SOD mRNA. Sense ODN and scrambled ODN were used as controls. Twenty-four hours later, hearts were isolated and perfused with buffer at constant pressure and subjected to 35 minutes of regional ischemia and 2 hours of reperfusion. Treatment with CCPA compared with saline vehicle (control) significantly reduced infarct size, expressed as percentage of myocardium at risk (22.3+/-3.3% versus 42.1+/-3.8%, respectively; P=0.001). This protection was completely abolished by prior treatment with antisense ODN, which had no effect on its own. Neither sense ODN nor scrambled ODN had an effect on the CCPA-induced delayed cardioprotection. In separate animals, 24 hours after the same treatment, hearts were assayed for Mn-SOD content and activity. CCPA treatment induced a significant increase in myocardial Mn-SOD content and activity compared with the control condition; this increase was abolished by pretreatment with antisense ODN. This is the first study to show that transient A(1)R activation induces delayed cardioprotection in the rat. These results strongly suggest an important role for mitochondrial Mn-SOD as a potential end effector of this protection.

Whole-body hyperthermia provides biphasic cardioprotection against ischemia/reperfusion injury in the rat.

Hyperthermia increases cardiac tolerance to ischemia/reperfusion injury 24 hours after the heat stress. Free radicals and redox mechanisms have been implicated in such tolerance. However, the time course and its relation to the induction of antioxidative enzymes in the protection induced by whole-body hyperthermia against ischemia/reperfusion injury are unknown. Hyperthermia was induced in anesthetized rats by placement in a temperature-controlled water bath. After the defined recovery interval(s) at room temperature, ischemia was induced by occlusion of the left coronary artery for 20 minutes, followed by reperfusion for 48 hours. The exposure to hyperthermia led to a recovery interval- dependent, biphasic reduction in the incidence of ventricular fibrillation during ischemia and in the size of the myocardial infarct as determined after 48 hours of reperfusion. The time course of the late-phase (24- to 96-hour recovery interval) but not the early-phase (0.5 hour) cardioprotection depended on the degree of hyperthermia. The time course of the increase in myocardial manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) activity corresponded to that of the cardioprotective effects, although an increase in the content of Mn-SOD and of heat shock protein 72 corresponded only to the late-phase effects. Administration of an antioxidant before hyperthermia abolished the early- and late-phase cardioprotection and the increase in Mn-SOD activity. THe activation of Mn-SOD mediated by free radical production during hyperthermia is important in the acquisition of early-phase and late-phase cardioprotection against ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats.

Leukemia inhibitory factor and tumor necrosis factor induce manganese superoxide dismutase and protect rabbit hearts from reperfusion injury

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) have been shown to protect animals from radiation, hyperoxia, and endotoxic shock. TNF is also known to induce the expression of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) in vitro and in vivo. We therefore examined the effects of these cytokines on reperfusion injury in the isolated rabbit heart model. Rabbits were injected intravenously with 10 µg of either human TNF-α or lymphotoxin (TNF-β), or murine TNF-α or murine LIF dissolved in saline. Control animals were injected with an equal volume of saline. After 24 h, hearts were isolated and perfused. Following an equilibration period, the hearts were subjected to 1 h ischemia and 1 h of reperfusion. All treated groups showed significant increases in percent recovery of developed tension (% preischemic) when compared to saline-treated control hearts. In addition there were significant decreases in lactate dehydrogenase release (LDH), accumulation of thiobarbituric acid reactive subtances (TBARS), and accumulation of carbonyl proteins. These results correlate with increases in myocardial MnSOD activity. Thus, the protection from myocardial reperfusion injury seen in the pretreated group may be due to a mechanism that involves the induction of MnSOD. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) have been shown to protect animals from radiation, hyperoxia, and endotoxic shock. TNF is also known to induce the expression of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) in vitro and in vivo. We therefore examined the effects of these cytokines on reperfusion injury in the isolated rabbit heart model. Rabbits were injected intravenously with 10 µg of either human TNF-α or lymphotoxin (TNF-β), or murine TNF-α or murine LIF dissolved in saline. Control animals were injected with an equal volume of saline. After 24 h, hearts were isolated and perfused. Following an equilibration period, the hearts were subjected to 1 h ischemia and 1 h of reperfusion. All treated groups showed significant increases in percent recovery of developed tension (% preischemic) when compared to saline-treated control hearts. In addition there were significant decreases in lactate dehydrogenase release (LDH), accumulation of thiobarbituric acid reactive subtances (TBARS), and accumulation of carbonyl proteins. These results correlate with increases in myocardial MnSOD activity. Thus, the protection from myocardial reperfusion injury seen in the pretreated group may be due to a mechanism that involves the induction of MnSOD.

Leukemia inhibitory factor and tumor necrosis factor induce manganese superoxide dismutase and protect rabbit hearts from reperfusion injury

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) have been shown to protect animals from radiation, hyperoxia, and endotoxic shock. TNF is also known to induce the expression of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) in vitro and in vivo. We therefore examined the effects of these cytokines on reperfusion injury in the isolated rabbit heart model. Rabbits were injected intravenously with 10 micrograms of either human TNF-alpha or lymphotoxin (TNF-beta), or murine TNF-alpha or murine LIF dissolved in saline. Control animals were injected with an equal volume of saline. After 24 h, hearts were isolated and perfused. Following an equilibration period, the hearts were subjected to 1 h ischemia and 1 h of reperfusion. All treated groups showed significant increases in percent recovery of developed tension (% preischemic) when compared to saline-treated control hearts. In addition there were significant decreases in lactate dehydrogenase release (LDH), accumulation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and accumulation of carbonyl proteins. These results correlate with increases in myocardial MnSOD activity. Thus, the protection from myocardial reperfusion injury seen in the pretreated group may be due to a mechanism that involves the induction of MnSOD.

Induction of myocardial manganese superoxide dismutase and acquisition of ischemic tolerance

Exposing the myocardium to brief repeated episodes of ischemia and reperfusion has been shown to dramatically limit the size of infarct produced by a subsequent episode of sustained ischemia. We also found that the infarct-limiting effect was observed not only immediately after, but also 24 h after repetitive brief ischemia in dogs. The sublethal ischemia enhanced the myocardial activity of mitochondrial Mn-SOD associated with the increase in its content 24h after the treatment. Thus, sublethal ischemia-induced protection against myocardial injury could occur biphasically. Induction of Mn-SOD enzyme may contribute to the delayed phase of myocardial adaptation.