Does myocardial postconditioning reduce infarct size via protein kinase C signalling in a rat model of ischemia-reperfusion?
OBJECTIVE: Using non-selective and selective protein kinase C (PKC) epsilon and delta isoform inhibitors, we tested the hypothesis that the cardioprotective phenotype invoked by postconditioning (postcon) is dependent on PKC signalling. Furthermore, we determined whether postconditioning alters pPKCepsilon and/or pPKCdelta in cytosolic and mitochondrial fractions. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent 30 min left coronary artery (LCA) occlusion followed by 3 h of reperfusion. Rats were randomised to the following groups: Untreated, no intervention either before or after LCA occlusion; Postcon, 3 cycles of 10-s full reperfusion and 10-s re-occlusion, initiated immediately at the onset of reperfusion; Chelerythrine (non-selective PKC inhibitor, 5 mg/kg)+/-postcon; Rottlerin (PKCdelta inhibitor, 0.3 mg/kg)+/-postcon; KIE1-1 (PKCepsilon inhibitor, 3.8 mg/kg)+/-postcon. A subset of rats was employed to assess pPKCepsilon and/or pPKCdelta in sham, Isch/RP (30-min LCA occlusion followed by 30-min reperfusion), and postcon-treated hearts. RESULTS: Infarct size, expressed as area of necrosis as a percentage of the area at risk, AN/AAR (%), was significantly reduced by postcon compared to control (untreated) rats (39+/-2% vs. 53+/-1% in control, P2-fold decrease) compared to Isch/RP. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that postcon modulates PKC during early reperfusion by increasing PKCepsilon expression and translocation to a site other than the outer mitochondrial membrane, and limits translocation of PKCdelta to mitochondria and associated deleterious signalling.
Zatta et al. (Sat,) studied this question.