Postconditioning (PostC) has regenerated interest as a mechanical intervention against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury, but its molecular mechanisms remain elusive. This study tested the hypothesis that hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) plays a role in PostC-induced cardioprotection. Male Wistar rats were subjected to 30 min ischemia followed by 3 h of reperfusion (Control). PostC with 3 cycles of 10 s reperfusion and 10 s re-occlusion was applied at the onset of reperfusion. Relative to the Sham group, HIF-1alpha protein level was increased by 2.9-fold in the Control group, but its level was enhanced by 5.8-fold with PostC (P < 0.01 vs. Control). However, HIF-1alpha protein level was further augmented by 2.0-fold and 3.3-fold, respectively, when the prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor, dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG, 40 mg/kg, i.p.) was given at 24 h before ischemia in both Control and PostC groups. PostC reduced infarct size by 24% compared with the Control (27 +/- 4.2% vs. 36 +/- 5.2%, P < 0.01), consistent with significant lower levels of plasma creatine kinase activity, index of cardiomyocyte apoptosis and caspase-3 activity. Although pretreatment with DMOG significantly reduced infarct size relative to the Control, the infarct-sparing effect of PostC was remarkably enhanced when DMOG was given before PostC (18 +/- 2.0% vs. 27 +/- 4.2% in PostC alone, P < 0.05). There was a significant linear inverse relationship between HIF-1alpha protein level and infarct size (r = -0.799, P < 0.01) among all groups. Furthermore, along with up-regulated HIF-1alpha expression, the levels of iNOS mRNA and protein were significantly increased in the PostC alone and DMOG plus PostC groups. In conclusion, these data suggest that HIF-1alpha is involved in cardioprotection by PostC and pharmacological augmentation of HIF-1alpha expression that enhances the infarct-sparing effect of PostC; iNOS, the downstream gene of HIF-1alpha, may participate in signaling pathways in mediating PostC's protection.

Hyperlipidemia is regarded as an independent risk factor in the development of ischemic heart disease, and it can increase the myocardial susceptibility to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Ischemic postconditioning (Postcon) has been demonstrated to attenuate the myocardial injury induced by I/R in normal conditions. But the effect of ischemic Postcon on hyperlipidemic animals is unknown. Hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) has been demonstrated to play a central role in the cardioprotection by preconditioning, which is one of the protective strategies except for Postcon. The aim of this study was to determine whether Postcon could reduce myocardial injury in hyperlipidemic animals and to assess whether HIF-1 was involved in Postcon mechanisms. Male Wistar rats underwent the left anterior descending coronary occlusion for 30 min followed by 180 min of reperfusion with or without Postcon after fed with high fat diet or normal diet for 8 weeks. The detrimental indices induced by the I/R insult included infarct size, plasma creatine kinase activity and caspase-3 activity. Results showed that hyperlipidemia remarkably enhanced the myocardial injury induced by I/R, while Postcon significantly decreased the myocardial injury in both normolipidemic and hyperlipidemic rats. Moreover, both hyperlipidemia and I/R promoted the HIF-1a expression. Most importantly, we have for the first time demonstrated that Postcon further induced a significant increase in HIF-1a protein level not only in normolipidemic but also in hyperlipidemic conditions. Thus, Postcon reduces the myocardial injury induced by I/R in normal and hyperlipidemic animals, and HIF-1a upregulation may involve in the Postcon-mediated cardioprotective mechanisms.

No abstract

No abstract