Academic literature on the topic 'Postconditioning'

AbstractBackgroundPostconditioning by brief episodes of ischaemia performed just at the time of reperfusion have been shown to reduce the size of infarcts in animal models, and in the clinical setting of percutaneous cardiac intervention. The clinical applicability of postconditioning in cardiac surgery remains to be determined. We investigated the effect of postconditioning on myocardial protection in children undergoing cardiac surgery.MethodsWe randomly assigned 40 patients scheduled for surgical correction of congenitally malformed hearts under cold blood cardioplegic arrest to postconditioning or control treatment. Postconditioning was performed by two cycles of 30 seconds ischaemia and 30 seconds reperfusion using aortic reclamping, and declamping started 30 seconds after cardioplegic arrest. We assayed creatine kinase-MB, troponin I, transcardiac release of lactate and neutrophil counts.ResultsThe types of procedure, age, bypass and aortic cross-clamping times were similar in both groups. The postoperative peaks of creatine kinase-MB and troponin I were lower after aortic de-clamping in the postconditioned patients compared with their controls (128 ± 48 units per liter as opposed to 199 ± 79 units per liter, p = 0.016, and 0.34 ± 0.21 nanograms per milliliter as opposed to 0.61 ± 0.53 nanograms per milliliter, p = 0.05), with reduced inotropic scores in those submitted to postconditioning compared with their controls (4.8 ± 3.1 versus 2.3 ± 1.5, p = 0.036). Transcardiac release of lactate was reduced in the postconditioned patients compared with their controls (0.10 ± 0.27 as opposed to 0.37 ± 0.43 millimols per liter, p = 0.048). No differences between groups were found for transcardiac neutrophil count during reperfusion (10.8 ± 6.3% for postconditioning versus 14.0 ± 8.7% for controls, p = 0.48).ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that postconditioning may protect the myocardium of children undergoing cold blood cardioplegic arrest. These data support the need for a larger clinical trial of postconditiong in children undergoing cardiac surgery.

Postconditioning, i.e., brief intermittent episodes of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion performed at the onset of reperfusion, reduces infarct size after prolonged ischemia. Our goal was to determine whether postconditioning is protective against myocardial stunning. Accordingly, conscious chronically instrumented dogs (sonomicrometry, coronary balloon occluder) were subjected to a control sequence (10 min coronary artery occlusion, CAO, followed by coronary artery reperfusion, CAR) and a week apart to postconditioning with four cycles of brief CAR and CAO performed at completion of the 10 min CAO. Three postconditioning protocols were investigated, i.e., 15 s CAR/15 s CAO ( n = 5), 30 s CAR/30 s CAO ( n = 7), and 1 min CAR/1 min CAO ( n = 6). Left ventricular wall thickening was abolished during CAO and similarly reduced during subsequent stunning in control and postconditioning sequences (e.g., at 1 h CAR, 33 ± 4 vs. 34 ± 4%, 30 ± 4 vs. 30 ± 4%, and 33 ± 4 vs. 32 ± 4% for 15 s postconditioning, 30 s postconditioning, and 1 min postconditioning vs. corresponding control, respectively). We confirmed this result in anesthetized rabbits by demonstrating that shortening of left ventricular segment length was similarly depressed after 10 min CAO in control and postconditioning sequences (4 cycles of 30 s CAR/30 s CAO). In additional rabbits, the same postconditioning protocol significantly reduced infarct size after 30 min CAO and 3 h CAR (39 ± 7%, n = 6 vs. 56 ± 4%, n = 7 of the area at risk in postconditioning vs. control, respectively). Thus, contrasting to its beneficial effects on myocardial infarction, postconditioning does not protect against myocardial stunning in dogs and rabbits. Conversely, additional episodes of ischemia-reperfusion with postconditioning do not worsen myocardial stunning.

The present study sought to determine whether the combination of late preconditioning (PC) with postconditioning enhances the reduction in infarct size. Chronically instrumented rats were assigned to a 45-min ( subset 1) or 60-min ( subset 2) coronary occlusion followed by 24 h of reperfusion. In each subset, rats received no further intervention (control) or were preconditioned 24 h before occlusion (PC), postconditioned at the onset of reperfusion following occlusion, or preconditioned and postconditioned without (PC + postconditioning) or with the COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib (3 mg/kg ip; PC + postconditioning + celecoxib) 10 min before postconditioning. Myocardial cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein expression and COX-2 activity (assessed as myocardial levels of PGE2) were measured 6 min after reperfusion in an additional five groups (control, PC, postconditioning, PC + postconditioning, and PC + postconditioning + celecoxib) subjected to a 45-min occlusion. PC alone reduced infarct size after a 45-min occlusion but not after a 60-min occlusion. Postconditioning alone did not reduce infarct size in either setting. However, the combination of late PC and postconditioning resulted in a robust infarct-sparing effect in both settings, suggesting additive cardioprotection. Celecoxib completely abrogated the infarct-sparing effect of the combined interventions in both settings. Late PC increased COX-2 protein expression and PGE2 content. PGE2 content (but not COX-2 protein) was further increased by the combination of both interventions, suggesting that postconditioning increases the activity of COX-2 induced by late PC. In conclusion, the combination of late PC and postconditioning produces additive protection, likely due to a postconditioning-induced enhancement of COX-2 activity.

ABSTRACT Objective: to evaluate the effects of blocking the regulation of vascular tone on the ischemia and reperfusion syndrome in rats through the use of lidocaine in the postconditioning technique. Methods: we randomized 35 rats into seven groups of five animals: Group 1- Control; Group 2- Ischemia and Reperfusion; Group 3- Ischemia, Reperfusion and Saline; Group 4- Ischemic Postconditioning; Group 5- Ischemic Postconditioning and Saline; Group 6- Lidocaine; Group 7- Ischemic Postconditioning and Lidocaine. Except for the control group, all the others were submitted to renal ischemia for 30 minutes. In postconditioning groups, we performed ischemia and reperfusion cycles of five minutes each, applied right after the main ischemia. In saline and lidocaine groups, we instilled the substances at a rate of two drops per minute. To compare the groups, we measured serum levels of urea and creatinine and also held renal histopathology. Results: The postconditioning and postconditioning + lidocaine groups showed a decrease in urea and creatinine values. The lidocaine group showed only a reduction in creatinine values. In histopathology, only the groups submitted to ischemic postconditioning had decreased degree of tubular necrosis. Conclusion: Lidocaine did not block the effects of postconditioning on renal ischemia reperfusion syndrome, and conferred better glomerular protection when applied in conjunction with ischemic postconditioning.

The aim of the present study was to investigate if hyperlipidemia interferes with the infarct size-limiting effect of postconditioning and to study the involvement of peroxynitrite in this phenomenon. Rats were fed a 2% cholesterol-enriched or normal diet for 12 wk. Infarct size by triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining was measured in hearts isolated from both groups and subjected to 30 min coronary occlusion followed by 120 min reperfusion with or without the postconditioning protocol induced by six cycles of 10 s coronary occlusion and 10 s reperfusion at the onset of the reperfusion. Postconditioning significantly decreased infarct size in the normolipidemic but not in the hyperlipidemic group. Postconditioning increased cardiac 3-nitrotyrosine concentration (a marker for peroxynitrite formation) in the normal but not in the cholesterol-fed group when measured at the 5th min of reperfusion. Next, we tested if the postconditioning-induced acute increase in peroxynitrite is involved in the cardioprotection in normolipidemic animals in separate experiments. Postconditioning failed to decrease infarct size in the presence of the peroxynitrite decomposition catalyst 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-[4-sulfonatophenyl]-porphyrinato-iron [III] (20 mg/l) in normolipidemic animals. We conclude that an early increase in peroxynitrite after postconditioning plays a role in cardioprotection. Furthermore, hyperlipidemia blocks the cardioprotective effect of postconditioning at least in part via deterioration of the postconditioning-induced early increase in peroxynitrite formation.

As clinical trials of pharmacological neuroprotective strategies in stroke have been disappointing, attention has turned to the brain's own endogenous strategies for neuroprotection. Recently, a hypothesis has been offered that modified reperfusion subsequent to a prolonged ischemic episode may also confer ischemic neuroprotection, a phenomenon termed ‘postconditioning’. Here we characterize both in vivo and in vitro models of postconditioning in the brain and offer data suggesting a biological mechanism for protection. Postconditioning treatment reduced infarct volume by up to 50% in vivo and by ∼30% in vitro. A duration of 10 mins of postconditioning ischemia after 10 mins of reperfusion produced the most effective postconditioning condition both in vivo and in vitro. The degree of neuroprotection after postconditioning was equivalent to that observed in models of ischemic preconditioning. However, subjecting the brain to both preconditioning as well as postconditioning did not cause greater protection than each treatment alone. The prosurvival protein kinases extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and Akt show prolonged phosphorylation in the cortex of postconditioned rats. Neuroprotection after postconditioning was inhibited only in the presence of LY294002, which blocks Akt activation, but not U0126 or SB203580, which block ERK and P38 MAP kinase activity. In contrast, preconditioning-induced protection was blocked by LY294002, U0126, and SB203580. Our data suggest that postconditioning may represent a novel neuroprotective approach for focal ischemia/reperfusion, and one that is mediated, at least in part, by the activation of the protein kinase Akt.

Evidence has demonstrated that resveratrol preconditioning exhibits neuroprotection against cerebral ischemia–reperfusion (IR) injury. The current investigation aimed to explore whether pharmacological postconditioning, by administering resveratrol, after a sustained ischemia and prior to prolonged reperfusion abrogates cerebral IR injury. Cerebral IR-induced injury mice model was employed in this study to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of pharmacological postconditioning with resveratrol (30 mg/kg; i.p.) administered 5 min before reperfusion. We administered sirtinol, a SIRT1/2 selective inhibitor (10 mg/kg; i.p.) 10 min before ischemia (17 min) and reperfusion (24 h), to elucidate whether the neuroprotection with resveratrol postconditioning depends on SIRT1 activation. Various biochemical and behavioural parameters and histopathological changes were assessed to examine the effect of pharmacological postconditioning. Infarct size is estimated using TTC staining. It was established that resveratrol postconditioning abrogated the deleterious effects of IR injury expressed with regard to biochemical parameters of oxidative stress (TBARS, SOD, GSH), acetylcholinesterase activity, behavioural parameters (memory, motor coordination), infarct size, and histopathological changes. Sirtinol significantly reversed the effect of resveratrol postconditioning. We conclude that induced neuroprotective benefits of resveratrol postconditioning may be the consequence of SIRT1 activation and resveratrol can be considered, for further studies, as potential agent inducing pharmacological postconditioning in clinical situations.

Ischaemia and reperfusion in the heart leads to necrotic cell death (infarction) and contractile dysfunction (stunning). Ischaemic preconditioning (non-lethal periods of ischaemia prior to a longer ischaemic episode) and postconditioning (modified reperfusion) both reduce infarct size and are thought to act via activation of reperfusion injury salvage kinase (RISK) pathways to prevent the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) at reperfusion. Catecholamines are released centrally and locally during myocardial ischaemia and activate adrenoceptors. This investigation was concerned with the roles of p-adrenoceptor activation in preconditioning and postconditioning. Studies utilising isolated paced atrial and ventricular tissues demonstrated that preconditioning against stunning could be achieved by ischaemic preconditioning, or pre-treatment of tissues with isoprenaline, a p-adrenoceptor agonist. Both forms of protection were blocked by propranolol, a-adrenoceptor antagonist. Postconditioning was not protective in this model. A Langendorff model of regional ischaemia was used to determine effects of -adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists on infarct size. In this model, ischaemic postconditioning was blocked by timolol, a non-selective p-adrenoceptor antagonist. Formoterol, a-adrenoceptor agonist, given at reperfusion, mimicked postconditioning. The non-selective adrenoceptor agonist, adrenaline, when applied at reperfusion, worsened reperfusion contracture but had no effect on infarct size. The application of a selective-adrenoceptor antagonist (CGP-20712A) at reperfusion led to a reduction of infarct size whereas p2 (ICI-118,551) and p3 (SR-59230A) antagonists had the opposite effect. If the results are replicable in man in vivo they would be of clinical relevance because a commonly used class of drugs (p-adrenoceptor antagonists) have the potential to abrogate the protection of postconditioning. Another widely available class of drugs (P-adrenoceptor agonists) can have cardioprotective effects at reperfusion.

Background- Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the Western world and targeting those strategies which limit the damage sustained as a result of a lethal myocardial infarction has been a major goal for many years. Two such strategies, ischaemic preconditioning and ischaemic postconditioning are the most powerful endogenous cardio-protective phenomena known to man. The mechanisms involved in the newly described phenomenon of ischaemic postconditioning are not fully known. Additionally, the vast majority of studies investigating ischaemic preconditioning have been performed in normal hearts, leading to the suggestion that preconditioning is a "healthy heart" phenomenon. However, conflicting evidence exists as to whether the diabetic myocardium can be protected by ischaemic preconditioning (IPC). This thesis examines the mechanisms involved in these strategies of cardioprotection: (1) ischaemic postconditioning in normal hearts, and (2) ischaemic pre- and postconditioning in type II diabetic hearts. Methods and Results- Using a Langendorff isolated rat heart model we demonstrated that ischaemic postconditioning significantly reduced myocardial infarct size in normal rat hearts, and that this effect was comparable to that of ischaemic preconditioning. Western blot analysis demonstrated for the first time that postconditioning-induced protection is mediated via the PI3K-Akt pro- survival signalling cascade and its downstream targets, namely, eNOS and p70S6K. However, we found that type II diabetic rat hearts could not be protected using the same postconditioning protocol as a result of insufficient Akt phosphorylation. Conversely, the type II diabetic myocardium can be protected by ischaemic preconditioning but the threshold required to achieve this protection is elevated compared to non-diabetic hearts. This elevation in threshold is required to achieve sufficient phosphorylation of Akt, to execute the protective signal induced by ischaemic preconditioning. Conclusion- Our study demonstrates that in normal hearts, ischaemic postconditioning is a powerful strategy for myocardial protection and is mediated via the PI3K-Akt pro-survival signalling cascade. However, presumably due to differences in cellular signalling physiology, ischaemic postconditioning does not have a similar effect in type II diabetic hearts, and the beneficial effect of ischaemic preconditioning is only seen if the preconditioning stimulus is increased sufficiently to achieve enough Akt phosphorylation to mediate the protective signal. This suggests that the human diabetic population may be more resistant to the protective effects of IPC, but that provided the preconditioning stimulus is sufficient, the diabetic myocardium can be protected.

Thesis (MScMed)--Stellenbosch University, 2008.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It has recently been observed that the application of multiple short cycles of reperfusion and ischaemia, at the onset of reperfusion, elicits cardioprotection against injury due to prior sustained ischaemia. This phenomenon has been termed “postconditioning” (postC) and is of special interest due to its clinical applicability. Although much work has been done to delineate the mechanism of protection, there is still controversy regarding the precise algorithm of postC, the importance of the reperfusion injury salvage kinases (RISK), as well as uncertainty about the possible role of p38 MAPK and the protein phosphatases in postC cardioprotection. The aims of this study were therefore: I. To develop and characterise a cardioprotective postC protocol in the ex vivo rat heart, using both the retrogradely perfused and working heart models. II. To characterise the profiles of PKB/Akt, ERK p42/p44 and p38 MAPK associated with the postC intervention. III. To investigate the possible role of the serine/threonine protein phosphatases type 1 and type 2A (PP1 and PP2A) in the mechanism of postC. Hearts from male Wistar rats were perfused in both the retrograde Langendorff (at a perfusion pressure of 100 cmH2O and diastolic pressure set between 1 and 10 mmHg) and working heart models (preload: 15 cmH20 and afterload: 100 cmH20). Several different postC protocols were tested for their cardioprotective effect, as analysed by infarct size (IFS; determined by triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining) and functional recovery. Experimental parameters tested were the number of cycles (3,4 or 6), the duration of the cycles (10, 15, 20 or 30 seconds), the method of application (regional or global) and temperature during the intervention (36.5 or 37 °C). Different sustained ischaemic insults were also utilised: 35 minutes regional (RI) or 20, 25, 30 and 35 minutes global ischaemia (GI). Hearts treated with a cardioprotective postC intervention or standard reperfusion after sustained ischaemia, were freeze-clamped at 10 and 30 minutes reperfusion in both perfusion models. Tissue samples were then analyzed using Western blotting, probing for total and phosphorylated PKB/Akt, ERK p42/p44 and p38 MAPK. The contribution of PKB/Akt and ERK p42/p44 activation to cardioprotection was also investigated by administration of inhibitors (A6730 and PD098059 respectively) in the final 5 minutes of ischaemia and the first 10 minutes of reperfusion, in the presence and absence of the postC intervention. The effect of these inhibitors were analyzed in terms of IFS and kinase profiles. The possible role of the phosphatases in postC was investigated by observing the effect of cantharidin (a PP1 and PP2A inhibitor) treatment directly before sustained ischaemia (PreCanth) or in reperfusion (PostCanth), in the presence and absence of postC, on IFS and kinase profiles. A postC protocol of 6x10 seconds global reperfusion / ischaemia, at 37°C, was found to give the best and most consistent reduction in infarct size in both the Langendorff (IFS in NonPostC: 47.99±3.31% vs postC: 27.81±2.49%; p<0.0001) and working heart (IFS in NonPostC: 35.81±3.67% vs postC: 17.74±2.73%, p<0.001) models. It could however only improve functional recovery in the Langendorff model (after 30 minutes GI: rate pressure product (RPP) recovery: NonPostC = 12.27±2.63% vs postC = 24.61±2.53%, p<0.05; and after 35 minutes GI: left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) recovery: NonPostC = 28.40±7.02% vs postC = 48.49±3.14%, p<0.05). This protection was associated with increased PKB/Akt (NonPostC: 0.88±0.26 AU (arbitrary unit) vs postC: 1.65±0.06 AU; p<0.05) and ERK p42 (NonPostC: 2.03±0.2 AU vs postC: 3.13±0.19 AU; p<0.05) phosphorylation. Inhibition of PKB/Akt activation with A6730 (2.5 μM) abrogated the infarct sparing effect of postC. Administration of cantharidin, either before of after ischaemia, in the absence of postC, conferred an infarct sparing effect (IFS in PreCanth: 15.42±1.80%, PostCanth: 21.60±2.79%; p<0.05) associated with an increase in the phosphorylation of MAPK p38 (administration before ischaemia: NonCanth: 1.52±0.26 AU vs PreCanth: 2.49±0.17 AU, p<0.05; and administration after ischaemia: NonCanth: 5.64±1.17 AU vs PostCanth: 10.69±1.29 AU, p<0.05) and ERK p42 (when administered in reperfusion; NonCanth: 2.24±0.21 AU vs PostCanth: 3.34±0.37 AU; p<0.05). Cantharidin treatment combined with the postC intervention did not elicit an additive infarct sparing effect (postC: 17.74±2.72%, PreCanth-postC: 13.30±3.46% and PostCanth-postC: 15.39±2.67%). In conclusion: a postC protocol of 6x10 seconds global ischaemia / reperfusion, at 37°C, confers the best infarct sparing effect in both the Langendorff and working rat heart models. This protection is associated with ERK p42 and PKB/Akt phosphorylation, although only PKB/Akt is necessary for cardioprotection. We could not find evidence for PP1 and PP2A involvement in postC, although inhibition of these phosphatases per se does elicit an infarct sparing effect. The latter observation suggests that phosphatase activation during ischaemia / reperfusion is potentially harmful.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit is onlangs waargeneem dat toediening van meervoudige siklusse herperfusie / iskemie, met die aanvang van herperfusie, die hart teen iskemie / herperfusie beskadiging beskerm. Hierdie verskynsel, bekend as postkondisionering (postC), geniet tans baie aandag vanweë die kliniese toepaslikheid van die ingreep. Ten spyte van intensiewe navorsing om die betrokke meganisme van beskerming vas te stel, is daar steeds kontroversie oor die presiese algoritme van die ingreep, asook die betrokkenheid van die sogenaamde iskemie herperfusie oorlewings kinases (RISK). Daar bestaan ook onsekerheid oor die rol van die stres-kinase, p38 MAPK, asook die proteïen fosfatases in die meganisme van beskerming teen iskemiese besering. Hierdie studie het dus drie doelstellings gehad: I. Ontwikkeling van ‘n postC protokol wat beskerming ontlok in die rothart ex vivo, deur gebruik te maak van beide die retrograad geperfuseerde ballon model, asook die werkhart model. II. Analiese van die profiele van die kinases PKB/Akt, ERK p42/p44 en p38 MAPK tydens herperfusie van postC en kontrole (NonPostC) harte. III. Ondersoek na die moontlike rol van die serien / treonien proteïen fosfatases tipe 1 en tipe 2A (PP1 en PP2A) in die meganisme van postC beskerming. Harte van manlike Wistar rotte is geperfuseer in beide die retrograad geperfuseerde ballon (d.i. die Langendorff) model (teen ‘n konstante perfusie druk van 100 cmH20 en ‘n diastoliese druk gestel tussen 1 en 10 mmHg), asook die werkhart model (teen ‘n voorbelading van 15 cmH20 en ‘n nabelading van 100 cmH20). Verskeie moontlike postC protokolle is getoets vir hul vermoë om kardiobeskerming te ontlok, in terme van funksionele herstel en infarktgrootte (IFS), soos bepaal deur trifenieltetrazolium chloried (TTC) kleuring. Die eksperimentele veranderlikes tydens die postC protokol wat ondersoek is, sluit in: die aantal siklusse (3, 4 of 6), die duur van die siklusse (10, 15, 20 of 30 sekondes), die wyse van postC toediening (streeks of globaal) en laastens die temperatuur tydens die ingreep (36.5 of 37 °C). Daar is ook gebruik gemaak van verskillende periodes iskemie: 35 minute streeks iskemie (RI), asook 20, 25, 30 en 35 minute globale iskemie (GI). Na 10 of 30 minute herperfusie is harte wat blootgestel is aan ‘n kardiobeskermende postC ingreep of gewone standaard herperfusie na iskemie, in beide perfusie modelle, gevriesklamp. Die weefsel proteïen-inhoud is verder geanaliseer deur van die Western blot tegniek gebruik te maak vir bepaling van die totale en fosforileerde vlakke van PKB/Akt, ERK p42/p44 en p38 MAPK. Die funksionele belang van PKB/Akt en ERK p42/p44 is verder ondersoek deur die effek van ‘n geskikte inhibitor (onderskeidelik A6730 en PD098059, toegedien tydens die laaste 5 minute van iskemie en die eerste 10 minute van herperfusie), in die teenwoordigheid en afwesigheid van die postC ingreep, op infarktgrootte en kinase aktiwiteit te monitor. Die moontlike rol van proteïen fosfatases in postC is ondersoek deur die effek van cantharidin (‘n PP1 en PP2A inhibitor) op infarktgrootte en kinase profiele te ondersoek. Cantharidin is óf onmiddelik voor iskemie óf tydens herperfusie toegedien, in die aan – en afwesigheid van die postC ingreep. Daar is bevind dat ‘n postC protokol van 6x10 sekondes globale iskemie / herperfusie, teen 37°C, die mees effektiewe en konstante verlaging in infarktgrootte teweeg gebring het in beide die ballon model (IFS in NonPostC: 47.99±3.31% vs postC: 27.81±2.49%; p<0.0001), asook die werkhart (IFS in NonPostC: 35.81±3.67% vs postC: 17.74±2.73%, p<0.001). Funksionele herstel kon egter slegs ontlok word in die ballon model (na 30 minute GI: tempo druk produk (RPP) herstel: NonPostC = 12.27±2.63% vs postC = 24.61±2.53%, p<0.05; en na 35 minute GI: linker ventrikulêre ontwikkelde druk (LVDP) herstel: NonPostC = 28.40±7.02% vs postC = 48.49±3.14%, p<0.05). Die infarkt-besparende effek van postC was geassosieer met ‘n toename in die fosforilasie van beide PKB/Akt (NonPostC: 0.88±0.26 AU (arbitrêre eenhede) vs postC: 1.65±0.06 AU; p<0.05) en ERK p42 (NonPostC: 2.03±0.2 AU vs postC: 3.13±0.19 AU; p<0.05). Inhibisie van PKB/Akt met A6730 (2.5 μM) het die infarkt-besparende effek van postC opgehef. Inhibisie van PP1 en PP2A opsigself, deur toediening van cantharidin óf voor óf na iskemie (in die afwesigheid van postC), het ‘n infarkt-besparende effek ontlok (IFS in PreCanth: 15.42±1.80%, PostCanth: 21.60±2.79%; p<0.05). Hierdie kardiobeskerming was geassosieer met ‘n toename in die fosforilasie van beide p38 MAPK (met toediening voor iskemie: NonCanth: 1.52±0.26 AU vs PreCanth: 2.49±0.17 AU, p<0.05; en toediening na iskemie: NonCanth: 5.64±1.17 AU vs PostCanth: 10.69±1.29 AU, p<0.05), asook ERK p42, indien cantharidin toegedien is tydens herperfusie (NonCanth: 2.24±0.21 AU vs PostCanth: 3.34±0.37 AU; p<0.05). Kombinasie van cantharidin behandeling met postC toediening kon egter nie ‘n kumulatiewe infarkt-besparende effek uitlok nie (postC: 17.74±2.72%, PreCanth-postC: 13.30±3.46% en PostCanth-postC: 15.39±2.67%). In samevatting: ‘n PostC protokol van 6x10 sekondes globale iskemie / herperfusie, teen 37°C, ontlok die mees effektiewe infarkt-besparende effek in beide die ballon, sowel as die werkhart modelle. Alhoewel hierdie beskerming geassosieer is met ‘n toename in die fosforilasie van beide PKB/Akt en ERK p42/p44 tydens herperfusie, is dit slegs PKB/Akt wat van funksionele belang is in die meganisme van kardiobeskerming. Ons kon geen bewyse vind vir die betrokkenheid van PP1 en PP2A in postC beskerming nie, alhoewel inhibisie van hierdie fosfatases opsigself infarkt-besparend is. Laasgenoemde waarneming toon dat fosfatase aktivering tydens iskemie / herperfusie skadelike gevolge mag hê.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 158-192).
Ischaemic postconditioning (IPostC) is a powerful protective mechanism that activates prosurvival intrinsic signalling cascades to limit reperfusion injury but the exact signalling pathway involved in this cardioprotective effect still remains unclear.

Thesis (M.A.) University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006.
The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (June 27, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

Timely coronary artery reperfusion is essential to prevent myocyte death following myocardial infarction. The act of restoring blood flow however, paradoxically reduces the beneficial effects of reperfusion. This phenomenon, termed myocardial reperfusion injury, refers to the injury of cardiac myocytes that were viable immediately before reperfusion. Recent studies have shown that the timing and hemodynamic sequence of events which govern reperfusion can help to minimize the severity of reperfusion injury. The term postconditioning describes a modified form of reperfusion that involves a series of flow interruptions which confer significant cardioprotection to the heart. This thesis investigates ischemic postconditioning and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation as cardioprotective therapies against reperfusion injury. In the first half of this thesis, we test the hypothesis that phosphorylation of eNOS serves as a cardioprotection nodal point for ischemic postconditioning. We show that phosphorylation of eNOS increases enzyme activity and that its product, nitric oxide, plays a critical role in cardioprotection. A number of cardiac dysfunctions arise after reperfusion and we address the effects of postconditioning on infarct size and myocardial blood flow. The second half of this thesis introduces the use of magnetic relaxometry sensors to detect cardiac biomarkers. The ability to non-invasively measure infarct size in small animals would be helpful in studying models of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. We investigate the use of implantable biosensors in vivo and show that the cumulative detection of cardiac biomarkers correlates with infarct severity.
Engineering and Applied Sciences

• Ischaemic preconditioning is the most powerful endogenous mechanism for limiting myocardial infarct size in the experimental setting. Its clinical application is limited to scenarios in which the index episode of ischaemia and reperfusion can be anticipated such as in the setting of cardiac surgery• Ischaemic postconditioning represents an endogenous cardioprotective strategy which is applied at the onset of myocardial reperfusion, thereby allowing its use as an adjunct to reperfusion in patients presenting with an acute myocardial infarction• Both ischaemic preconditioning and postconditioning recruit a common signal transduction pathway at the time of myocardial reperfusion, which can be targeted by pharmacological agents administered as adjuncts to reperfusion.

• Despite optimal therapy, the mortality and morbidity of coronary heart disease remains significant. Hence, novel treatment strategies of cardioprotection are required to improve clinical outcomes in these patients• Experimental studies have provided a plethora of therapeutic strategies for reducing myocardial injury, but the translation of these findings into the clinical setting has been largely disappointing. Many of these unsuccessful clinical studies have relied upon individually targeting established mediators of lethal reperfusion injury such as oxidative stress, inflammation, calcium overload and so forth• Clearly, novel targets for cardioprotection as well as a multi-targeted approach to cardioprotection directed against the multiple causes of lethal reperfusion injury are required to effect benefits in clinical outcomes• In this regard, the introduction of ischaemic postconditioning, a novel treatment strategy, in which following primary PCI the process of myocardial reperfusion is interrupted by several coronary re-occlusions, has been reported to reduce myocardial myocardial injury in AMI patients• Furthermore, experimental studies have identified the Reperfusion Injury Salvage Kinase (RISK) pathway and the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) as novel targets for cardioprotection, which are currently been examined in the clinical setting.