Neurochemical alterations of different cerebral regions in rats with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury based on proton nuclear magnetic spectroscopy analysis.

BACKGROUND

Recent studies have demonstrated a complex and dynamic neural crosstalk between the heart and brain. A heart-brain interaction has been described regarding cardiac ischemia, but the cerebral metabolic mechanisms involved are unknown.

METHODS

Male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly allocated into 2 groups: those receiving myocardial ischemia-reperfusion surgery (IR group, n =10) and surgical controls (Con group, n=10). These patterns of metabolic abnormalities in different brain regions were assessed using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (PMRS).

RESULTS

Results assessed by echocardiography showed resultant cardiac dysfunction following heart ischemia-reperfusion. Compared with the control group, the altered metabolites in the IR group were taurine and choline, and differences mainly occurred in the thalamus and brainstem.

CONCLUSIONS

Alterations in cerebral taurine and choline are important findings offering new avenues to explore neuroprotective strategies for myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. These results provide preliminary evidence for understanding the cerebral metabolic process underlying myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.