Activation ofβ2-adrenergic receptor plays a pivotal role in generating the protective effect of ischemic preconditioning in rat hearts

Background. Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) strongly protects against myocardial ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury. However, IPC protection is ineffective in aged hearts. Exercise training reduces the incidence of age-related cardiovascular disease and upregulates the ornithine decarboxylase (ODC)/polyamine pathway. The aim of this study was to investigate whether exercise can reestablish IPC protection in aged hearts and whether IPC protection is linked to restoration of the cardiac polyamine pool.Methods. Rats aging 3 or 18 months perform treadmill exercises with or without gradient respectively for 6 weeks. Isolated hearts and isolated cardiomyocytes were exposed to an IR and IPC protocol.Results. IPC induced an increase in myocardial polyamines by regulating ODC and spermidine/spermine acetyltransferase (SSAT) in young rat hearts, but IPC did not affect polyamine metabolism in aged hearts. Exercise training inhibited the loss of preconditioning protection and restored the polyamine pool by activating ODC and inhibiting SSAT in aged hearts. An ODC inhibitor,α-difluoromethylornithine, abolished the recovery of preconditioning protection mediated by exercise. Moreover, polyamines improved age-associated mitochondrial dysfunctionin vitro.Conclusion. Exercise appears to restore preconditioning protection in aged rat hearts, possibly due to an increase in intracellular polyamines and an improvement in mitochondrial function in response to a preconditioning stimulus.

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Ischemic preconditioning-mediated restoration of membrane dystrophin during reperfusion correlates with protection against contraction-induced myocardial injury

AJP Heart and Circulatory Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpheart.01140.2003 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 287 (1) ◽

pp. H81-H90 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Masakuni Kido ◽

Hajime Otani ◽

Shiori Kyoi ◽

Tomohiko Sumida ◽

Hiroyoshi Fujiwara ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Preconditioning ◽

Myocardial Injury ◽

Contractile Activity ◽

Integral Membrane Protein ◽

Contractile Force ◽

Global Ischemia ◽

Blue Dye ◽

Perfused Heart ◽

Complete Restoration ◽

Rat Hearts

Dystrophin is an integral membrane protein involved in the stabilization of the sarcolemmal membrane in cardiac muscle. We hypothesized that the loss of membrane dystrophin during ischemia and reperfusion is responsible for contractile force-induced myocardial injury and that cardioprotection afforded by ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is related to the preservation of membrane dystrophin. Isolated and perfused rat hearts were subjected to 30 min of global ischemia, followed by reperfusion with or without the contractile blocker 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM). IPC was introduced by three cycles of 5-min ischemia and 5-min reperfusion before the global ischemia. Dystrophin was distributed exclusively in the membrane of myocytes in the normally perfused heart but was redistributed to the myofibril fraction after 30 min of ischemia and was lost from both of these compartments during reperfusion in the presence or absence of BDM. The loss of dystrophin preceded uptake of the membrane-impermeable Evans blue dye by myocytes that occurred after the withdrawal of BDM and was associated with creatine kinase release and the development of contracture. Although IPC did not alter the redistribution of membrane dystrophin induced by 30 min of ischemia, it facilitated the restoration of membrane dystrophin during reperfusion. Also, myocyte necrosis was not observed when BDM was withdrawn after complete restoration of membrane dystrophin. These results demonstrate that IPC-mediated restoration of membrane dystrophin during reperfusion correlates with protection against contractile force-induced myocardial injury and suggest that the cardioprotection conferred by IPC can be enhanced by the temporary blockade of contractile activity until restoration of membrane dystrophin during reperfusion.

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