Adrenomedullin Infusion Attenuates Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury Through the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt-Dependent Pathway

BACKGROUND: Infusion of adrenomedullin (AM) has beneficial hemodynamic effects in patients with heart failure. However, the effect of AM on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion remains unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to a 30-minute period of ischemia induced by ligation of the left coronary artery. They were randomized to receive AM, AM plus wortmannin (a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase [PI3K] inhibitor), or saline for 60 minutes after coronary ligation. Hemodynamics and infarct size were examined 24 hours after reperfusion. Myocardial apoptosis was also examined 6 hours after reperfusion. The effect of AM on Akt phosphorylation in cardiac tissues was examined by Western blotting. Intravenous administration of AM significantly reduced myocardial infarct size (28+/-4% to 16+/-1%, P<0.01), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (19+/-2 to 8+/-2 mm Hg, P<0.05), and myocardial apoptotic death (19+/-2% to 9+/-4%, P<0.05). Western blot analysis showed that AM infusion accelerated Akt phosphorylation in cardiac tissues and that pretreatment with wortmannin significantly attenuated AM-induced Akt phosphorylation. Moreover, pretreatment with wortmannin abolished the beneficial effects of AM: a reduction of infarct size, a decrease in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and inhibition of myocardial apoptosis after ischemia/reperfusion. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term infusion of AM significantly attenuated myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. These cardioprotective effects are attributed mainly to antiapoptotic effects of AM via a PI3K/Akt-dependent pathway.