Sympathetic nerve innervation and metabolism in ischemic myocardium in response to remote ischemic perconditioning

Attila Kiss, Ping Wu, Michaela Schlederer, Patrick M. Pilz, Petra Lujza Szabo, Jingle Li, Lukas Weber, Chrysoula Vraka, Verena Pichler, Markus Mitterhauser, Xiaoli Zhang, Karin Zins, Dietmar Abraham, Sijin Li (Corresponding author), Bruno K. Podesser, Marcus Hacker, Xiang Li (Corresponding author)

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Abstract

Sympathetic nerve denervation after myocardial infarction (MI) predicts risk of sudden cardiac death. Therefore, therapeutic approaches limit infarct size, improving adverse remodeling and restores sympathetic innervation have a great clinical potential. Remote ischemic perconditioning (RIPerc) could markedly attenuate MI-reperfusion (MIR) injury. In this study, we aimed to assess its effects on cardiac sympathetic innervation and metabolism. Transient myocardial ischemia is induced by ligature of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in male Sprague-Dawley rats, and in vivo cardiac 2-[F-18]FDG and [C-11]mHED PET scans were performed at 14-15 days after ischemia. RIPerc was induced by three cycles of 5-min-long unilateral hind limb ischemia and intermittent 5 min of reperfusion during LAD occlusion period. The PET quantitative parameters were quantified in parametric polar maps. This standardized format facilitates the regional radioactive quantification in deficit regions to remote areas. The ex vivo radionuclide distribution was additionally identified using autoradiography. Myocardial neuron density (tyrosine hydroxylase positive staining) and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPG, inhibiting neuron regeneration) expression were assessed by immunohistochemistry. There was no significant difference in the mean hypometabolism 2-[F-18]FDG uptake ratio (44.6 +/- 4.8% vs. 45.4 +/- 4.4%) between MIR rats and MIR + RIPerc rats (P > 0.05). However, the mean [C-11]mHED nervous activity of denervated myocardium was significantly elevated in MIR + RIPerc rats compared to the MIR rats (35.9 +/- 7.1% vs. 28.9 +/- 2.3%, P < 0.05), coupled with reduced denervated myocardium area (19.5 +/- 5.3% vs. 27.8 +/- 6.6%, P < 0.05), which were associated with preserved left-ventricular systolic function, a less reduction in neuron density, and a significant reduction in CSPG and CD68 expression in the myocardium. RIPerc presented a positive effect on cardiac sympathetic-nerve innervation following ischemia, but showed no significant effect on myocardial metabolism.
Original languageEnglish
Article number42
Number of pages11
JournalBasic research in cardiology
Volume117
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2022

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

  • 302032 Cardiology

Keywords

  • Myocardial ischemia
  • reperfusion
  • Remote ischemic perconditioning
  • Cardiac sympathetic nerve
  • Cardiac metabolism
  • HEART
  • DENERVATION
  • VASOCONSTRICTION
  • INFARCTION
  • SYSTEM
  • Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion

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