P4618Lack of CD31 results in microvascular plugging and increased infarction size in an experimental model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury
Abstract Background The success of coronary recanalization therapy for the treatment of myocardial infarction can be hampered by microvascular plugging which prevents effective reperfusion of the ischemic tissue. Due to its constitutive expression in platelets, leukocytes, and endothelial cells and its peculiar tyrosine phosphatase cell detaching signaling properties, the trans-homophilic CD31 receptor may be important to modulate platelet and leukocyte aggregation in the microvasculature. Objective To investigate the impact of CD31 genetic deficiency on the infarct size, peri-infarction microvascular plugging and macrophage phenotype in a mouse model of heart ischemia/reperfusion. Methods Cardiac ischemia was induced in WT and CD31 KO mice (n=30, 15 females and 15 males in each group) by surgical ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) for 45 minutes followed by reperfusion for 72 hours. The area at risk (AAR) and necrotic zone (NZ) were assessed using ImageJ software on three consecutive 1 mm thick slices of the left ventricle (LV) by a combination of a blue dye and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Parallel sets of experiments served to evaluate by both fluorescence microscopy and cytometry the presence of microvascular plugs and leukocyte phenotype in the infarction area as compared to the peri-necrotic myocardium. Results The AAR was similar in WT and CD31 KO mice (41,7±3,5 vs 37±2,9% of LV, NS) whereas the size of myocardial infarction was significantly greater in CD31 KO as compared to WT mice (23,4±2 vs 17,8±1,7% of LV, p<0,05). Immunofluorescent microscopy showed a dramatic increase in microvascular platelets-rich plugs around the infarction in CD31 KO mice (Figure), confirmed by cytometry analysis (9749±573 vs 5976±376 platelet-leukocyte aggregates/mg of tissue, p<0.001). Furthermore, we found that the ratio between M1 and M2 type macrophages in the peri-infarction myocardium was significantly increased in CD31 KO mice (0,7±0.07) as compared to WT mice (0,4±0.06, p<0,01). Conclusions Our data suggest that CD31 is important for reducing the size of necrosis following coronary recanalization procedures by preventing the no-reflow phenomenon due to microvascular plugging and by promoting a reparative phenotype of peri-infarction macrophages. Acknowledgement/Funding Institut Servier - ANRT (CIFRE doctoral grant)