[Na+/Ca2+ exchanger mediates ischemia-reperfusion injury by activation of CaMKII in isolated rat heart].

To investigate the role of Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury and the underlying mechanisms.

Methods

Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups randomly: a control group, a KB-R7943 group, an ischemia-reperfusion group (IR group), and an IR plus KB-R7943 group (KB-R7943+IR group). Isolated Sprague Dawley male rat hearts underwent Langendorff perfusion. The ratio of left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), the infarct size of myocardium, and the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in the coronary flow was determined. HE staining was used to assess the change of myocardial morphology. Western blot was used to determine the levels of cleaved caspase-3, cytochrome c and the phosphorylation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and the Thr17 site of phospholamban.

Results

Compared with the control group, IR group significantly induced an enlarged infarct size, reduction of the ratio of LVDP, up-regulation of cytochrome c, cleaved caspase-3, p-CaMKII and p-phospholamban, and increased in the activity of LDH, the level of LVEDP (P<0.01) and the disordered myocardial morphology. These effects were significantly attenuated in the presence of KB-R7943 treatment (10 μmol/L).

Conclusion

NCX mediates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion-induced cell apoptosis and necrosis through activation of CaMKII.